Evolution is afoot in Atlanta.
While the footwear industry at large is experiencing significant upheaval due to uncertainty around tariff pricing and consumer spending, The Atlanta Shoe Market (TASM) is headed toward its own transformation.
The trade show’s longtime home, the Cobb Galleria Centre, is set to kick off a major renovation one day after TASM concludes its next event, on Aug. 9-11.
“The building is 31 years old and has always been well-maintained, but this is going to take it to another level,” said TASM executive director Laura Conwell-O’Brien.
The construction project is set to conclude by early 2027 and will bring both temporary and permanent change to the trade show.
During 2026, for instance, the registration desk will move to the rotunda at the entrance of the Cobb Galleria. And the roughly 40 brands previously housed in the meeting rooms, booths and store spaces around the Galleria Shops will relocate to the second floor of the adjacent Renaissance Waverly Hotel. TASM’s lunch venue will also move to a space in the hotel.
“I’m very confident that the [brands] that are being relocated to the Renaissance will work out beautifully because, back in the day, when we first went [to the Galleria] 30 years ago, I used the third and fourth floors of the hotel for the Fashion Collection,” said Conwell-O’Brien. She noted that the majority of exhibitors (98 percent) will remain in their current locations.
When TASM returns in February 2027, it will be to a modernized space featuring a new junior ballroom and two outdoor garden areas that can be used for events. All told, the renovation will add another 13,000 square feet of meeting space to the facility, according to the venue owner.
For now, though, Conwell-O’Brien stressed that this month’s event will be “business as usual,” with no change to the space or operations.
Vendors in and around the Galleria Shops will relocate during construction in 2026.
Courtesy of The Atlanta Shoe Market
However, macro trends in the world are creating headaches leading into the show season. Conwell-O’Brien noted that the tariff situation is creating a sense of frustration among brand reps in her association. “It’s because we just don’t know,” she said. “In the beginning, when [U.S. President Donald Trump] first put the tariffs on, everybody was scrambling, but then that got taken care of, but only temporarily. And now we still don’t know what’s coming down the pike.”
While she said some international brands have been impacted by higher tariffs, most of her exhibitors will be back.
In fact, more than 1,800 lines will be on display during the show’s three days, including several new and returning brands like M.Gemi, Saucony, Orthofeet and Robeez.
The trade show will feature the same elements as in previous seasons and in the same locations, including the Grand Ballroom in the Renaissance hotel, which was added in 2024, as well as the Fashion Plaza, located at the entrance to the ballroom.
To encourage retailers to explore those newer areas, TASM organizers will hold the “Walk the Floor Challenge” for the second time. As part of the contest, buyers are given a card on which to collect stickers from vendors in the Grand Ballroom and Fashion Plaza. The guest with the most stickers by Monday at noon can win $500 in cash.
The majority of exhibitors, including Skechers, will remain in their current locations at the trade show.
Courtesy of The Atlanta Shoe Market
After hours, TASM will again host its opening-night casino party on Aug. 9, from 6–9:30 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. The event is complimentary for show attendees and accessible by shuttle bus from the convention hall. It will feature a full buffet and cash bar, as well as live entertainment by Powerhouse Band.
And on Aug. 10, the Two Ten Women in the Footwear Industry (WIFI) group will host its cocktail party in the Retailer Lounge on the mall level of the Cobb Galleria, now with an earlier start time of 5:30 p.m. There is a $15 fee for all attendees, and pre-registration is strongly recommended due to the popularity of the networking event.
Also on Sunday, the National Shoe Retailers Association (NSRA) is offering a complimentary breakfast seminar, from 7:45–8:30 a.m. in the Renaissance hotel. This season’s Retail Workshop will be hosted by industry experts Marc Weiss of Management One and Dane Cohen of The Boutique Hub. It will focus on the key financial metrics that matter for independent retailers, ahead of the release of NSRA’s Business Performance Report.
