Fashion: Sportity remains. But not only
No, there will be no return to the galantry. Sneakers also dominate the season F/S 2026. “The dominance of the sports brands is brutal,” says Gerli CEO Ralf Grossmann. “Against this background, we adapted elements from the sports area to our collections. The shoe must be light and flexible and have features such as soft insoles. Shoe fashion remains sporty and convenient. The spectrum of the sporty styles in the women’s shoe area is correspondingly wide. Retro terrace models will also have their role in the coming year-in new pastels, combined with natural tones and with decorative details such as metallic applications.
In addition, there are also sleek techno sneakers with a voluminous sole and an elaborately designed shaft with a mix of materials from mesh to metallics. Both variants are also dominant for the men – then in more moderate color combinations. Helle natural tones and gray/green mixtures dominate here, but also brown tones from cognac to chocolate. And the low-pro-styles? On this topic, opinions continue to differ: “It is a little early for the very slim sneaker forms. Is the topic really coming?” Asks Matthias Rodemeier (Tamaris): “The Terrace trend will continue. Without revolutions, but with evolution.
Pia Kolb (Fritz Frank Schuhe & Sport) is also not sure about the low-pro styles, “whether the customer understands the topic”. She is happy that she saw “a lot of commercial, well -selling goods” at the fair. And that doesn’t necessarily have to be sneakers: loafers and boat shoes – for women and men alike – as well as summer slides and mules in the women’s segment are interesting alternatives. The materials are also played here. At Tamaris there was, among other things, “muh-tiger” cowhide print. Raffia and bast are also exciting as shaft materials or decorative elements, braided, crocheted or in macrame variant.
Bajram Hasani explains that the shoe provider ARA identified the topic of “handcrafted” as one of several important trends of the new season. Leoprint will also stay, less striking, but as a subtle element. And: “Elegant styles come back. But with careful and you have to be young and new. The older customer will not go back to the pumps. It is the younger customer who is looking for such styles. For example, as a sling with a small heel,” Christian Böhm is convinced. At the same time, he warns more fashion facets: “I would like to go from zero to 100 and then go back to zero on some fashionable topics.” This also confirms another manufacturer who wants to remain anonymous: “It is the eternal pig cycle in the industry: either in whole or not. There is nothing in between. And the topics are often played too wide.” Another manufacturer who does not want to read his name in Schuhkurier wants more commitment from the trade at the point of sale: “I think that a lot has to move in German trade. You can see a wall with black shoes in the shop, the wall with brown shoes next to it. And everyone is close.
I always say such dealers: you are inpatient, you have to arouse emotions. ” In addition to the summer 2026, there are more and more brands with a reinforced heel area. Comfort elements as well as hallux-friendly material expanded.
