World Industries Skate Footwear F/W 2026 Preview
Retail Buyers Guide: Skate Footwear F/W 2026 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: World Industries
Interviewee: R.P. Bess Brand Director
How is the current skateboard footwear market in Europe?
World is working to break into the market.
Are your price points increasing for FW26?
We haven’t increased prices for Fall. Since the acquisition in 2024 we’ve worked hard to keep prices level. Something that our sourcing team has done a great job of this last year.
What are your collection themes/ stories for this coming season?
For us we see our success in graphics and prints. However as we looked at Fall 2026 we wanted to pull back a bit on the prints and shift a couple SKU’s to a cleaner look. Or to take the prints and make them a little less subtle. By this we kept some graphics, but shifted them to areas that weren’t as visible, like inside collar or on the tongue under the laces. We don’t want to abandon what we’re known for and having success at, but wanted to add some more options to the line. On the women’s and girls side we added a little more color pops and floral accents. Giving the shoes a little more sophisticated, feminine graphic story than the men’s side and bringing a little more fun and playful look into the girls range.
What are you doing this season regarding collaborations/ campaigns?
We don’t have any collaboration on footwear this season, but the World Industries brand is much bigger than just footwear. We have some exciting things happening in 2026 with collabs and license deals with retailers and more.
DESIGN
What design trends are visible this season?
Not only did we pull back on some graphics, but we also looked to slim a couple new silhouettes down.
Are there any pro models/ FW26 colour ways to look forward to?
We’re looking to do something in the Pro models in the future. Nothing in Fall 2026.
How is your brand working towards a sustainable practice?
We’re still working on this. We have a sister brand Kengo’s, not a skate brand, that has a massive sustainability story. I think the whole shoe is made from plant-based materials with a hand stitched sole holding the upped on. We need to take more cues from them.
Must have styles for FW26?
Smith Is our top selling style and it’s a must have. Although the Black White Red version with graphics has been our flagship for many seasons we did two color ways with no graphics to give a little bit of an option. The new clean uppers come with grippy gum outsoles for the skate look and performance.
Key Products:
Smith Black Gray Tan:
This is an updated color way on our best seller, the Smith in Black White Red. Both come in Suede and Synthetic Suede upper (51% Suede) with Blucher toe and Ghillie lacing to save those laces.
Smith Blk Gray Tan
Smith Natural Dark Gum:
Smith Natural Dark Gum is another color way in our top selling style, the Smith. This color way is Bone Suede and Synthetic Suede, (51% Suede) Blucher toe construction with Ghillie laces and a grippy gum outsole. Smith is also available in 4 additional color ways.
Smith Natural Dark Gum
Basic 5.0:
Is our slightly slimmed down faux vulcanized construction with an exposed gum sole to help with grip. Suede and Synthetic Suede upper (51% Suede) with an embossed W logo. Available in 4 colors, White/Black, Bone/White/Black, Black/White (pictured) and Black/Black/White
Basic 5.0 Blk Wht Hero
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