On 13 September 2026, AsianTrade Connect attended the opening day of MICAM Milano, held at Fieramilano Rho from 13 to 15 September.

Recognised as one of the world’s leading international events for the footwear industry, MICAM brings together manufacturers, buyers, distributors, agents and industry professionals twice a year. The September edition showcased collections from more than 1,000 footwear brands across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, combining established international names with emerging companies and new product concepts.

For AsianTrade Connect, participating in MICAM was an opportunity to meet directly with footwear companies and better understand how brands are approaching international development today, particularly across Asian markets.

Throughout the day, our team held conversations with companies at different stages of their international expansion journey: from brands exploring Asia for the first time to businesses already present internationally and looking to strengthen or diversify their distribution network.

As with many of the companies we work with, the discussion rarely begins simply with whether Asia represents an attractive opportunity. The more relevant questions are increasingly operational.

Which markets should be prioritised? Which type of distributor or commercial partner is the right fit? How should European retail pricing be translated into a sustainable local price structure? And how much local support is required for a distributor to successfully develop a brand?

These questions are particularly relevant in footwear, where product positioning, seasonality, sizing, retail structure and brand awareness can significantly influence the viability of a market entry strategy.

Trade Fairs as a Starting Point for International Development

International trade fairs remain an important part of the commercial development process.

Beyond presenting new collections, events such as MICAM create an environment where brands, buyers and industry operators can discuss market opportunities directly and establish relationships that may later develop into more structured commercial partnerships.

For our team, they also provide an opportunity to understand a brand beyond the information available through a catalogue or company presentation: product quality, price positioning, collection structure, target customer and management priorities can all be assessed more effectively through direct interaction.

This becomes particularly important when evaluating potential expansion into Asia-Pacific, where selecting the right market is closely connected to identifying the right positioning and distribution model.

One Region, Different Routes to Market

One of the recurring themes in our conversations at MICAM was the diversity of Asian markets.

Japan, South Korea, China and Southeast Asia cannot be approached through a single commercial strategy. Retail structures, consumer behaviour, price sensitivity and distributor expectations vary considerably between countries.

A brand that may find a strong fit with selected department stores and specialised retailers in Japan could require a very different approach in South Korea or Southeast Asia, where local distributors, multi-brand operators or digital channels may play a more central role.

For this reason, identifying potential partners should generally follow — rather than precede — a clear assessment of the market, positioning and commercial feasibility of the brand.

From Market Interest to Commercial Execution

For European footwear companies, international expansion increasingly requires more than identifying a list of potential distributors.

Potential partners are themselves becoming more selective, particularly when considering brands that are not yet established locally. Questions around expected demand, marketing support, pricing competitiveness, exclusivity and long-term commitment often emerge before any commercial agreement can be considered.

This makes the preparation phase increasingly important.

Understanding where a brand has the strongest potential, identifying the operators that are genuinely relevant and approaching them with a coherent commercial proposition can significantly improve the quality of the discussions that follow.

Our participation at MICAM therefore represented not only an opportunity to establish new relationships, but also another valuable opportunity to observe how the footwear industry is approaching international expansion and how the expectations of both brands and commercial partners continue to evolve.

Looking Ahead

We would like to thank MICAM Milano and its organising team, together with Fiera Milano, for creating an international meeting point that continues to bring together the different parts of the global footwear industry.

We also thank all the brands and professionals who took the time to meet with our team during the opening day.

As AsianTrade Connect continues to support European companies across Asia-Pacific, events such as MICAM remain an important opportunity to connect market strategy with the companies, products and people behind it.