The numbers come from APICCAPS (Portuguese Footwear, Components, Leather Goods Manufacturers’ Association), and it was published in the yearly edition of World Footwear Yearbook. Summarizing the findings: global footwear production in 2017 is once again growing, after a flat 2015/2016 period. The global production’s output last year was of 23.5 billion pairs, 2% more than 2016. An increase that “is far from that of the period 2010/2014: +15.4%”, but that is significant nonetheless, say the Portuguese. The Far East remains the “world’s shoe-factory”, accounting for 87% of the total. Meanwhile in the same area, China doesn’t recover from the -6% of the last 5 years, but maintains its 2016 quota (+0,2%). With regards to purchases, explains APICCAPS, “India purchased more shoes that the United States in 2017”, China is still first in this field. Moreover, it is significant the analysis of the export’s average pricing trend. The average price of a pair of shoes increased 3% in 2017, “reaching the record price of 9.18 USD per pair”. This number shows how “the average export price in the last 10 years has increased by 40% in general, and by 60% with regards to Asian production”. Good signs from Europe as well, where exports “reached their highest market share in the last 10 years: 13.8% in volume”, which accounts for “36.7% in value. The highest in the past 6 years”.
