Shoe Museum Presents NEXT STEP – Sustainability & Innovation an Exhibition by the Portuguese Footwear Technology Centre (CTCP)

In recent years, the Portuguese footwear industry has undergone a profound structural transformation, driven by new environmental requirements, technological advances, and a culture of cooperation among companies, research centres, and sector organisations. Since 19 June, the Footwear Museum has been presenting NEXT STEP: Sustainability & Innovation, an exhibition that makes this systemic change visible, developed in partnership with the CTCP – Portuguese Footwear Technology Centre and APICCAPS – the Portuguese Footwear, Components, Leather Goods and Their Substitutes Manufacturers’ Association.

The exhibition brings together materials, components, and prototypes resulting from strategic R&D projects—such as BioShoes4All, ShoeDigiNov, and FAIST—which have repositioned the sector as an international benchmark in the green and digital transition. It presents tangible evidence of ongoing work that usually remains behind the scenes of engineering departments, laboratories, and production facilities: leathers stabilised with plant-based compounds, biomaterials derived from natural fibres and agro-industrial waste, bio-based polymers, recyclable composites, and circular economy solutions that demonstrate that innovation is no longer the exception but the foundation of the industry.

Organised around four themes—Disintegration and Biodegradability; Recycling and Circular Economy; Biomaterials and Biomimicry; and Cutting-Edge Technologies—the exhibition translates complex processes into accessible narratives. It explains how post-consumer waste is reintegrated into new products; how nature inspires functional solutions; and how advanced manufacturing, from 3D printing to the Digital Product Passport, is redefining transparency and traceability within the sector.

More than presenting objects, components, or products, NEXT STEP reveals the thinking behind them: a productive culture that combines technical rigour, environmental responsibility, and strategic vision. Until the end of the summer, visitors are invited to explore new materials, new production languages and methods, and a new industrial ecology—and to recognise that the future of Portuguese footwear is already taking shape.

NEXT STEP is an invitation to discover the materials and processes that are shaping a more sustainable tomorrow, where footwear is no longer merely an accessory but an example of engineering excellence and respect for the environment. The exhibition can be visited at the Footwear Museum until 27 September 2026.