Stating that the biggest threat to the shoe industry is the export of chrome-containing leather, TASD President and Aymakoop Board Member Süleyman Gürsoy said, “If our government does not take measures in this regard, we will soon be unable to find leather to produce shoes.”
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The Turkish footwear sector, which achieved $708 million in exports last year, has raised its target to $1 billion this year. Süleyman Gürsoy, President of the Turkish Shoe Manufacturers' Association (TASD), explained the footwear sector's goals, challenges, and his thoughts on chrome-plated (semi-finished leather) exports to Türkiye. Noting that Türkiye is a major importer of raw leather, Gürsoy stated that the biggest threat facing the footwear sector is the export of chrome-plated leather.
400 MILLION $ POTENTIAL
"We should sell chromed leather not in its raw form, but as shoes, bags, and jackets," said Gürsoy, continuing: "We buy precious leather and export it. Then, to make high-quality shoes from that leather, we go to foreign countries and buy it. If a foreigner buys it, they have to pay a price. Turkish leather ranks among the highest in the world in terms of quality. However, because we export chromed leather, we're left with the waste. We're forced to produce with low-quality leather imported from South Africa and Brazil. The current export figure for chromed leather is $42 million. If we processed and sold our own high-quality leather, we would export $400 million. Türkiye will soon be short of leather to produce high-quality shoes. For every kilogram of chromed leather exported, $1 should be transferred to a fund."
WE MUST INCREASE AWARENESS
TASD President Gürsoy, noting that Türkiye produces 350 million pairs of shoes annually, said, “An industry with 280,000 employees will reach its $1 billion export target this year. However, our manufacturers need to increase their global awareness before selling. International trade fairs are critical. Government incentives must be utilized effectively. It's impossible to reach the target by attending one trade fair. Attending at least three trade fairs abroad is essential. Awareness is the first step. Once we achieve this, sales will follow.”
We were very late in branding
Süleyman Gürsoy, noting that the Turkish footwear industry is lagging behind in branding, said, "We're quite late in this regard. Instead of branding, we should be buying brands. It's not enough to produce good shoes to become a brand. For example, to become a good brand, you need to spend €2 million and hold a fashion show in Milan. This requires culture, a strong financial structure, and time."
We should export more to the USA
Süleyman Gürsoy, reminding us that the US imports $34 billion worth of shoes annually, noted that Türkiye exports $8 million worth of shoes to the country annually, saying, "Americans only wear three colors of shoes: black, brown, and tan. It's impossible for us to enter this country with every product. We need to develop specialized products. We're getting a much lower share of the US pie than we aim for. We need to increase this share."
