An average of two pairs of shoes are used per person annually. Among shoe types, leather is the most popular and widespread shoe material. Leather shoes account for 40 percent of the total. 50 percent of these shoes are produced in Asia, 20 percent in Europe, 18 percent in the Americas, and 12 percent in other regions. Athletic shoes are now used beyond purely athletic purposes, as they are also used for daily needs or fashion concerns, resulting in increased production. Production volume accounts for nearly 20 percent of total shoe production, with 80 percent of production coming from Asian countries. Work shoes account for only 2 percent of total shoe production. This figure includes steel-toed protective footwear, as well as shoes that differ from standard footwear in other ways (such as electrical insulation or gasoline resistance).
China is the largest producer, consumer, and exporter in the footwear sector, with a share exceeding 50 percent. China leads in production with 6,500 million pairs, followed by India, Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Thailand, Pakistan, and Turkey. China leads the way with 800 million pairs, Brazil with 600 million, and Indonesia with 500 million. In consumption, China and the US are the top two. There is a significant gap between them and the countries behind them. China's annual consumption is over 2,500 million pairs, while the US's is over 1,800 million. These countries are followed by India, Japan, Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia, the UK, and Pakistan. In imports, the US, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, the UK, France, and Italy are at the top. The US is in first place with over 1,800 million pairs of imports. Canada and Belgium have lost their top spots, with Poland and Russia taking their place. Following the US are Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Russia. Total imports from these markets, excluding the US, exceed 3,250 million pairs.
Major exporters are China, Hong Kong, Italy, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, Spain, Thailand, Portugal and Mexico.
China's production and export growth are equal to the losses in North America and Western Europe. Production trends are declining in the Middle East and Australia, with modest increases in South America, Eastern Europe, and Africa, while maintaining a stable level in Asia. The US is the largest market, importing over 1,800 million pairs, representing a 15% share of global imports. Eastern European countries are also steadily increasing their consumption.
South America
Brazil produces 600 million pairs annually. Imports do not exceed 10 million pairs. It has a domestic market of 450 million pairs and exports 160 million pairs. The Brazilian shoe industry, which employs 210,000 people in 6,250 businesses, sells primarily to the United States and other American countries. Its European market is the United Kingdom. Leather shoes constitute 80 percent of its exports. Per capita consumption is 2.5 pairs per year.
Mexico consumes 200 million pairs of its 300 million pairs domestically and exports 80 percent of the remaining 100 million pairs to the U.S. Per capita consumption is 2.2 pairs per year.
Far East
China is a giant, capable of producing 6,500 million pairs, exporting 3,900 million of them and consuming the remaining 2,600 million. Imports are negligible.
Production relies on cheap manual labor. Although all types of shoes are made, the main export item is athletic shoes. They are seen as the backyard of global sports brands. With the establishment of new leather processing plants, the proportion of leather shoes is rapidly increasing, but they still fail to produce high-quality, fashionable products. Per capita consumption is 2.0 pairs per year.
Hong Kong is the trading center of the Far East. With imports of 1,000 million pairs and exports of the same amount, it is the distributor of shoes to the West. Per capita consumption is 5.4 pairs per year.