The contract covers mainland Europe and Marvel International President Simon Philips says it’s a very significant deal.

Says Philips: “Leomil is known for its incredible design capability and we are very excited about the partnership because it can take us to the next level in shoe licensing.”

He adds that the deal is a perfect combination of two leaders in their respective fields.

With a library of over 5,000 characters, Marvel is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused on utilizing its character franchises in licensing, entertainment, publishing and toys.

Marvel International is responsible for all of the international licensing efforts for Marvel Entertainment including the management of third-party agent relationships the company employs in certain markets.

The Leomil Group meanwhile is a full-service footwear and fashion marketing source for major retailers and brands in Europe. Long-standing experience in this field has made the company a specialist in the development and distribution of the whole article range covered by licensed products.

Leomil has licensed the classic Spider-Man character for a wide range of children’s footwear including shoes, boots, slippers, and snow shoes.

Says Simon Philips: “Leomil are offering more than just the standard children’s shoe. Their ideas and their innovation will take us out of the normal shoe sector and into the fashion market.”

Marvel International also sees the relationship with Leomil as being important in of European market penetration. Leomil is already dominant in the traditional markets such as France, Germany, Benelux, Scandinavia, Italy and Spain but is also enjoying a great deal of success in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe.