a reclining mechanism for a furniture item includes support structure adapted for attachment to the furniture item , a footrest support bar connected for longitudinal movement with respect to the support structure between extended and retracted positions and actuating structure connected with the footrest support bar . the footrest support bar includes an s - shaped section and is connected to a footrest member for supporting the legs of the seat occupant . the actuating structure moves the footrest support bar along the s - shaped section between the extended and retracted positions to closely approximate a conventional footrest portion of a reclining mechanism , while presenting a simplified construction .