The FIMEC 2026 edition, held in Brazil, once again confirmed something that is becoming increasingly clear across the Brazilian footwear industry: digitalization is no longer optional. It has become a strategic necessity for companies that want to remain competitive.

Over three intense days, Antonio Miralles, Executive Director of Red21, attended FIMEC 2026 together with Sergio, Fernando and Luciano from Defred, Red21’s partner in Brazil, at one of the most important footwear industry events in Latin America. Throughout the exhibition, we shared the latest solutions from the Icad Universe with companies, designers and technicians, demonstrating how digital workflows are transforming the way footwear is designed, developed and brought into production.

Live demonstrations and real production challenges

One of the highlights of the event was the opportunity to showcase the Icad solutions in action through live demonstrations, where visitors could see how real footwear development challenges can be addressed in practice.

From model creation to production preparation, attendees experienced how the real-time bidirectional connection between 3D and 2D enables faster and more precise workflows, reducing development time while preventing errors in later stages of the process.

These sessions also sparked valuable conversations with designers and technicians from across the industry, who shared their own production challenges and explored new ways to optimize workflows, improve communication between departments and accelerate the journey from concept to finished product.

From concept to production, without losing precision

The solutions within the Icad Universe are designed precisely to address these challenges.

In a sector where every day counts, speed, precision and reliability remain the key pillars for transforming an idea into a product ready for manufacturing. By connecting creative design with technical pattern engineering and production documentation within a single digital workflow, companies can reduce iterations, minimize errors and make decisions with greater confidence.

Red21 and the international expansion of Icad

As the global distributor and implementation partner for Icad solutions, Red21 plays a key role in the international expansion of the ecosystem. Through our network of agents and partners, we support footwear companies in adopting Icad technology, providing training, technical support and specialized consulting.

Events such as FIMEC offer a unique opportunity to bring these solutions to new companies while further strengthening the international presence of the Icad ecosystem.

A key collaboration in Brazil

Participation in this year’s edition of FIMEC was made possible thanks to the collaboration with Defred, Red21’s trusted partner in Brazil.

The work of Sergio, Fernando and Luciano, together with their deep knowledge of the local market, played a fundamental role throughout the exhibition. Their commitment to the Brazilian footwear industry contributed significantly to the success of Red21’s presence at FIMEC 2026.

Brazil as a meeting point for the global footwear industry

Brazil continues to be one of the key hubs of the global footwear industry. The energy of the sector, the creativity of its designers and the strength of its manufacturing ecosystem make FIMEC a unique meeting point for professionals from around the world.

For Red21, participating in this event means continuing to strengthen our connection with the international footwear community while contributing to the technological evolution of the industry.

See you at the next stop

From Red21, we would like to sincerely thank all the professionals who visited the stand, shared ideas, asked questions and explored new ways to innovate in footwear design and development.

The Icad Universe continues to expand.