Mr Badon said footwear manufacturers needed help in the face of sanctions imposed on Russia and because high levels of inventory have built up in their warehouses. “We have overcome covid,” he said, “now the government must help us to overcome the war as well.”

He explained that some brands shipped footwear to customers in Russia before the European Union imposed sanctions. The Italian companies now fear they may never be paid for what they sent.

Subsequently, Italian shoe companies became afraid of shipping more shoes to that part of Europe out of concerns that the products would not reach customers and, again, that payment may not arrive. As a result, expensive levels of inventory have built up.

In 2021, customers in Russia imported 3.5 million pairs of shoes with a value of €250 million from Italy. The figures for Ukraine were volumes of 450,000 pairs with a value of €36 million.