A cross-national academic study has found that Italian and Dutch consumers are influenced by different psychological factors when it comes to purchasing sustainable footwear. Responsibility, peer norms, and individual attitudes all matter—but function differently across contexts. These findings offer new insight into tailoring sustainability strategies for consumer groups in Europe’s diverse fashion markets.
- Consumers evaluate different fashion products—like shoes or shirts—through distinct lenses of sustainability, the study concluded.
- The study used an expanded Theory of Planned Behaviour model and surveyed 724 consumers across Italy and the Netherlands.
- Ascribing of responsibility and subjective norms were strong predictors of sustainable purchase intent in both countries.
- Perceived behavioural control showed a counterintuitive negative effect on intention, especially among Italian respondents.
- The study has identified culturally specific patterns in how sustainability cues translateinto action or inaction.
THE STUDY: Titled Sustainability across Borders: which factors influence sustainable footwear choices? An empirical study on Italian and Dutch consumers, the paper was authored by Valerio Schiaroli, Letizia Alvino, Emma Verdonk, Rosa Maria Dangelico and Luca Fraccascia.
- It contributes to the academic literature by examining behavioural differences between two markets using a robust and extended analytical model.
- The study was published in the Journal of Cleaner Production in July 2025.
- Authors are affiliated with research institutions across Italy and the Netherlands.
- The paper applied a comparative model of sustainable fashion behaviour to footwear.
- Its cross-national scope makes it one of few footwear-specific studies in sustainability research.
THE RESEARCH: Researchers tested eight hypotheses using structural equation modelling. Six were supported. Attitude, subjective norms, and responsibility had strong positive effects on intention. Behavioural control had a negative effect, particularly in the Italian sample. The comparative model also revealed four statistically significant differences in how Italian and Dutch consumers responded to the same behavioural drivers.
- In both countries, attitude and social norms positively influenced sustainable footwear purchase intent.
- Ascribing responsibility was a consistent positive driver of both intent and attitude across the sample.
- Perceived marketplace influence shaped attitudes but did not directly affect intention.
- Four structural path relationships differed significantly between Italian and Dutch respondents.
