5 Countries With the Largest Footwear Industry in the World

The footwear industry is one of the largest in the world, as thousands of tons are manufactured every year and millions of pairs are exported around the world, being one of the most competitive sectors for countries specialized in the production of shoes.

However, quality footwear is not found in all nations, because despite the fact that they are goods that are practically produced throughout the world, to a greater or lesser extent, the degree of specialization that Asian, North American or some territories have Europeans, gives them a seal of quality and trust that is not found in this type of products in other countries or regions of the planet.

The shoe sector grows every year, since the consumption of these products is essential and they have a certain period of use, making it an industry with great annual growth.

Footwear Industry Worldwide

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted footwear production worldwide, as manufacturing levels prior to the health contingency are barely being surpassed.

Despite this, the industry has continued with high levels of manufacturing, since the previous year around 25 billion pairs of shoes were produced in the world, which is close to the figure for 2019, that is, in the pre-pandemic. .

According to the specialized portal World Footwear, Asia is the largest footwear manufacturer, as it is estimated that it concentrates around 88% of global production, being the number one supplier (as is the case with many other industries on the Asian continent). Then comes South America, with an estimated production of 4.7%; Africa with 2.9%; Europe with 2.8% and North America with 1.4%.

On the other hand, of 100% of the footwear manufactured in the world, around 60% is exported, and although it may seem like a lot, the truth is that this is the lowest export percentage that has been recorded in the last 10 years, which suggesting a shift in global value chains due to COVID-19 and other international geopolitical tensions.

Countries with the highest footwear production

Among the nations that are main manufacturers in the footwear industry are:

• China

As it turns out to be customary, China is the largest producer of footwear in the world (and at the same time, the largest consumer), since what it manufactures exceeds 12 billion pairs, which represents just over half of the production. total overall shoes.

Of that amount, China exported around 7.8 billion pairs and the remaining amount was for its own consumption.

• India

This other Asian nation has maintained its position in recent years as the second largest footwear manufacturer, although the difference between Chinese production and that of India is abysmal, since in this country manufacturing exceeds 2.5 billion pairs, That is, a difference of only 10 billion with China.

Despite being the second country that produces the most footwear, its exports are not equivalent, since it is in sixth place in exports, since it sends around 243 million pairs, which indicates that it is a large self-consumer.

• Vietnam

The Vietnamese nation has managed to establish itself as the third largest footwear manufacturer on the planet, because although the difference with India’s production is almost double, more than 1.3 billion pairs of shoes are produced in Vietnam.

Unlike India, Vietnam is a large exporter of footwear, as it is the second largest, since of what it produces, around 95% is sent to other nations.

• Indonesia

This other Asian country is the fourth largest producer of footwear in the world and competes with Vietnam for third place, since nearly 1.1 billion pairs of shoes are manufactured in Indonesian territory, which, until now, places it in fourth place. position.

Indonesia is the third largest exporter of these products, sending nearly 427 million pairs of shoes to the world.

• Brazil

The South American country is a big surprise in an industry dominated by Asia, but the truth is that it has a high degree of specialization in the production of footwear, as it is the fifth largest manufacturer worldwide, with just over 800 million pairs produced.

Brazil is also a large self-consumer, as it is outside the top ten in footwear exports.

Import footwear safely

When importing goods there are always risks, but to reduce and even eliminate them, there are solutions that are of great help when carrying out these logistical operations.

When performing this service with footwear, our clients obtain photos of all angles of the product they purchased to verify its composition, material and conditions. 

Additionally, for verification, photographs are taken of the measurements of the footwear both inside and outside.

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Finally, the labels that the shoe must have are captured in photographs, both those that are hanging and the one that must be sewn or printed on the inside.