Humanic sharpens focus on premium shoes and sports footwear

Humanic will focus more on premium products and sports shoes as its parent company reshapes the brand, ORF reports. Leder&Schuh, the Graz-based footwear retailer that owns Humanic and Shoe4You, has belonged to Slovenia’s Mass group since the end of March.

The company is also reorganising logistics, IT and product management. Chief executive Armin Weger said the two brands had not been clearly differentiated, with 60 to 70 per cent overlap.

Humanic currently carries 120 brands, which Weger said was too many. The retailer plans to add dedicated Humanic Sports sections to as many as 20 of its just over 60 stores. Performance shoes are expected to account for 10 per cent of sales in the medium term. The company also plans to expand its accessories range, including handbags.

Shoe4You is intended to compete with Deichmann. Weger said there was room to open more stores, particularly for that brand, but the company will first invest in its existing network. It plans to renovate five to eight stores next year. Leder&Schuh also sees potential in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Bulgaria and Romania.

The company generated revenue of 378 million euros last year, up from 371 million euros in 2024. It operates more than 200 stores in nine countries and employs about 2,000 people. In Austria, Humanic and Shoe4You together rank third in the footwear market, behind Deichmann and Zalando.

Weger said online sales and the large footwear ranges now offered by clothing retailers such as H&M and Zara were putting pressure on traditional shoe shops. Leder&Schuh offers online shopping but charges for delivery, and says it remains committed to its physical stores.

Austria’s shoe retail sector has contracted sharply over the past decade. The number of locations fell by a quarter between 2014 and 2025. According to market researcher RegioData, shoe retailers closed 91 stores and opened 37 in Austria last year. So far this year, 59 have closed and five have opened.