NEWS


UK’s first Barefoot Shoe and Foot Health Expo described as a ‘landmark event’


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he UK’s first Barefoot Shoe and Foot Health Expo took place last month, bringing together more than 30 shoe brands, foot health experts, and retailers for one day of education, connection, and


natural movement. The Expo which took place at Cranmore Park in Solihull saw over


900 attendees come through the door, and it featured leading names like Vivobarefoot and Muki Shoes, which brought its cow-print UNA MOO model - a perfect nod to this season’s fashion trends - and Origo, breaking into stylish women’s formalwear with soft-leather designs that combine comfort with office-ready aesthetics. Also in attendance was The Foot Collective, El Naturalista,


Paperkrane, Be Lenka, Barebarics, Inch Blue, alongside a wide range of international and UK-based brands including Vibram, Froddo, Freet, Groundies, Magical Shoes, Xero Shoes, Peerko, CRAVE, Doghammer and more. Several UK retailers and agencies also showcased multiple brands, making the expo the most comprehensive barefoot marketplace the UK has seen. In addition to the exhibition, the event featured expert talks and


Q&As, including Jim Dooner from The Foot Collective, podiatrists Rina Harris and Andy Bryant, Freet founders Andrew and Daisy Jackson, and holistic therapist Nicola Pike.


“This is more than just an event about shoes, it’s about reshaping


how we think about foot health in the UK,” said organiser Brittany Balinski, known online as Barefoot Brit. “Our hope is that the expo becomes a regular fixture in the footwear calendar, helping both consumers and retailers embrace this growing movement.” There’s more from Barefoot Brit about the Expo on page 21.


Footwear & Allied Trades Golf Championship raises £10k for charity


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he footwear industry once again came together to participate in the Footwear and Allied Trades Team


Golf Championship earlier this year, raising money for various charities. Footwear Today was involved once again as one of the sponsors and we were thrilled to help the event continue to raise monies for such worthwhile causes. This year’s Championship took place at


Fulford Golf Club in York where participants raised more than £10,500 for various charities; it was distributed as follows: Make A Wish – £5,533.95, Footwear Industry Trust – £500, Yorkshire Cancer Research – £250, and One Day Trauma – £250. This year the main charity was Make a


Wish, a charity making wishes come true for terminally ill children.


Team captains were also asked to nominate other charities, and four of them were drawn at random for a donation of £1,000 each. The Pattern Makers Charitable Foundation was nominated by Willam Lamb, The Dogs Trust was nominated by Gardiners Bros/Hush Puppies, Loros Hospice Charity was nominated by Rieker UK, and DB Shoes chose the Daylight Centre.


This is the third golf charity event of this kind, and since the start of the Championship the event has raised almost £27,000 in total. The organising committee, made up of Mike


Barton, David Smith, Paul Taylor and Charles Denton, said: “Thank you so much for your help in raising monies for such worthwhile causes; it means such a lot to each of them. “We would also like to say a special thank


you to Ivor Tilley, who has helped the National Shoe and Leather Golf in previous guise and are new Teams Championship raise thousands of pounds for Charity over the years. Though Ivor will help and support us in the background he has decided to take a backward step from our committee. We would like to thank him for all his hard work and commitment to making all these events a huge success.” Next year, the Footwear and Allied Trades


Team Golf Championship moves to Trentham Golf Club, Staffordshire on 17 June 2026. If you know anyone who would be keen to support the event by entering a team, please contact David Smith at david@ blueskymoda.com.


4 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • OCTOBER 2025


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