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Sustainability is a business necessity, and this award will go to a UK or Irish footwear brand, retailer, etailer or supplier that has improved its environmental impact, conditions in its supply chain or launched an impressively conscious product during the year. This must have sustainable production methods or components. Circularity initiatives including rental, resale and recycling initiatives are also welcome.

This award is for footwear specialists only: independent retailers operating in the UK and/or Irish markets with fewer than 12 stores and/or concessions. The winner of this award will have shown resilience and agility during current challenging economic conditions, while working with and supporting its suppliers, partners and local community.

This award will go to the best wholesale or direct-to-consumer kids’ footwear brand or department operating in the UK and/or Irish markets. The winner will prioritise kids’ foot health, and will have shown resilience, agility and innovation in the current challenging economic climate, while working with and supporting its suppliers and partners.

This category is open to footwear teams in fashion retailers, pureplays, footwear specialists, brands and suppliers operating in the UK and/or Irish markets. Judges will be looking for a team who can demonstrate how they have contributed to the overall objectives of the business.

Entrants must outline their exceptional understanding of the market and the customer, explain why the team stands out above the rest, show how it achieved measurable results, and give evidence to support this.

Entrants must describe the size of the team and roles within it, how it engages with the rest of the business, and how it innovates to drive the overall business strategy.

This category is open to wholesale and direct-to-consumer footwear brands trading in the UK and/or Ireland for between one and three years at 24 February 2025.

The judges will be looking for a strong business plan, a unique selling proposition and robust financial performance. Website design, UX (user experience), product offer, customer service, marketing initiatives, stockists (if relevant) and customer engagement will all be taken into account.

This category is open to any multichannel or pureplay footwear retailer or brand that operates in the UK and/or Irish markets. This award recognises the strategies that fuel online growth and demonstrate strength of the supply chain. Judges will be looking for an operator that can prove it is leading in the online space and explain how digital is transforming the business.

This award will go to the best wholesale or direct-to-consumer men's footwear brand operating in the UK and/or Irish markets. Footwear departments within fashion retailers must include the size the footwear category represents within the business.

The winner will demonstrate a flair for design and understanding of its customers’ needs. Entrants should show resilience and agility within in its operations, and will have supported its suppliers and partners.

This award will go to the best wholesale or direct-to-consumer women's footwear brand operating in the UK and/or Irish market today. Footwear departments within fashion retailers must include the size the footwear category represents within the overall business.

The winner will demonstrate creativity, a flair for design, and will have shown resilience and agility in current challenging economic conditions, while working with and supporting its suppliers and partners.

This category is open to all footwear retailers, pureplays and brands operating in the UK and/or Ireland. Judges will be looking for a company that can demonstrate a strong understanding of social media either through an ongoing campaign or programme, or one-off activity. Whether through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok or any other social media platform, the business should show how the channel has been harnessed to drive sales, brand awareness and messaging during the past year.

This category is open to footwear designers operating in the UK and/or Irish markets. The designer can be part of a design team within a brand or multiple, or an independent footwear designer. Entrants will be required to send in three product designs.

This category is open to all footwear retailers, brands and pureplay etailers operating in the UK and/or Irish markets. Judges will be looking for a campaign that has made a quantifiable impact by driving sales, brand awareness and messaging, regardless of the size of the budget.

This category is open to footwear designers currently studying in the UK or Ireland. University lecturers can nominate up to three students, or students can enter themselves. Please submit one project only in a single PDF of up to 10 pages, including supporting imagery.

Store colleagues are the lifeblood of bricks-and-mortar businesses. This award will recognise an outstanding store staff member who makes an impact, and goes above and beyond to help customers, colleagues and the wider business. We want to hear about their achievements and why they should win this award.

Finalists will be asked to submit a video – no longer than three minutes – of the person entering or being nominated. Judges will want to hear about their accomplishments, and see their personality shine through.

This award recognises a business that manufactures footwear either for its own brand, or for retailers and brands operating in the UK and/or Irish markets.

The award will go to a company that demonstrates reliable delivery of orders, a good working relationship with its retail partners, a safe working environment and standards, great-quality products and outstanding customer service.

Successful entries will include the number of people on the workforce and how they are being supported, factory locations, details of materials used within production and how the business is reducing its environmental impact. Please also list retail partners.

This category is open to forward-thinkers who power footwear retailers and brands across the UK and/or Ireland. Judges will be looking for individuals or teams who are driving cultural change within their businesses, through strategies that empower teams across head office, stores or supply chain. This could include cultivating a progressive environment that makes your workforce feel welcome and heard, as well as initiatives that have improved the livelihoods of those within the fashion supply chain.

Entries should include strategies and initiatives that demonstrate measurable, tangible results.

Qualifying period:

1 July 2024-until entry deadline

Nominated by the Drapers team. To be announced on the night.

Judged by a consumer poll. To be announced on the night.