FROM THE EDITOR Changing with the seasons
Welcome to the latest edition of Footwear & Fashion Today! As I write this, we’re in the grip of another unbearable British heatwave - yet again proving that this extreme seasonality is something we should probably all get used to! Few industries are so reliant on the changing seasons of the year, but fashion and footwear is definitely one of
them. Collections come and go year after year with trends changing all the time, which means it’s crucial for retailers to keep up and offer their customers the latest must-haves. The sector has seen a few interesting developments in the past month or so, which of course you can read about in this issue. Frasers Group has somewhat dominated the headlines, launching an ambitious double-play that signals a major pivot towards global premium fashion. In rapid succession, the company transformed its minority holdings into full-throttle takeover bids across two hemispheres.
If successful, these acquisitions will plug seamlessly into Frasers’ upscale Flannels ecosystem, giving the group end- to-end control over global distribution lines for massive lifestyle brands.
Talk about changing with the seasons! It would appear Frasers is aggressively shedding its historical image as the “King” of discount sportswear - with brands like Sports Direct - to establish an empire rooted in high-margin, premium retail. Also in this issue we’ve got an interesting article on sustainability... For years, the fashion and footwear sectors have leaned on “recycled” buzzwords as a convenient aesthetic shorthand, however, a recent ban on big-name brand campaigns could signal the end of vague environmental box-ticking. British shoppers are quick to spot when a “green” initiative is merely a marketing veneer covering a product line that is only fractionally recycled. People want sustainability, but they demand honesty first.
Jack Cheeseman
Editor, Footwear & Fashion Today
jcheeseman@datateam.co.uk Web:
www.footwearandfashion.today Instagram: @footwearandfashiontoday
CONTENTS JUNE 2026
4 FOOTWEAR NEWS 8 PREVIEW: FOOTWEAR & FASHION LIVE 2026 10 REVIEW: EXPO RIVA SCHUH AND GARDABAGS 14 RETAIL INSIGHT: BIRA 16 FASHION COMMENT: SUSTAINABILITY 18 BRAND INTERVIEW: TAMARIS 22 BRAND INTERVIEW: DOUGLAS & GRAHAME 26 EDITOR’S CHOICE: WOMEN’S BOOTS 32 EDITOR’S CHOICE: MEN’S BOOTS 35 EDITOR’S CHOICE: KIDS’ BOOTS 36 EDITOR’S CHOICE: SOCKS 40 FASHION STYLING 42 INSIGHT: CLOTHING DURABILITY 44 FOOTWEAR RETAILER OF THE MONTH 46 FASHION LAW
EDITOR: Jack Cheeseman
jcheeseman@datateam.co.uk • 01622 699120
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Ana Lambert
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PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Paul Ryder
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Footwear & Fashion Today: ISSN: 1475-8601
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JUNE 2026 • FOOTWEAR & FASHION TODAY • 3
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