Micam 26, the international footwear trade exhibit, will be held in Milan from Sunday, February 22nd to Tuesday, February 24th. It is the world's most important trade fair for footwear industry professionals, and it takes place at the Fiera Milano Exhibition Center (Rho). 794 brands are participating, with 402 international and 392 Italian. Compared to the previous edition, the event has a new layout that highlights innovation and information from the footwear industry. The exhibition circuit guides buyers and visitors via thematic areas that highlight the sector's strengths. The Micam Next Square has the Future of Retail area, which showcases the technologies that are revolutionizing the point of sale. Pavilion 5 is home to the space dedicated to the Italian Startup project, which brings together companies such as Zerow, a circular economy platform dedicated to the recovery and valorisation of production waste; Ez Lab, specializing in digital product passports and blockchain technologies for digital traceability; and Gait-Tech, which has an invisible device integrated into the insole to improve the comfort of high heels. Digital innovation plays an important part in this circumstance. Micam has collaborated with Livetrend to create a Trend Guide based on AI analysis of millions of web and social media data points. The forecasts highlight four macro-trends that will influence purchase decisions next season: Bucolic Slumber, Lavish Subversion, Primal Futurism, and Dark History.