Back to the office, back to normality

Even if the effect of the pandemic in the footwear sector was lesser than expected, several product segments suffered greatly from the confinement measures. The return to normality is, thus, an opportunity for many companies.

“Portugal has a strong tradition in the production of footwear of excellence. The evolution of the vaccination process and the progressive return to normality are excellent news for the Portuguese footwear industry”, highlighted the President of APICCAPS. In the first half of the year, Portuguese footwear exports have already increased by 12%. The trajectory should now continue. According to Luís Onofre, “even if international studies point to the recovery of the sector on an international level only in 2023, we believe that the next year will already bring the full affirmation of Portuguese footwear in foreign markets”. To make that happen, “we plan to integrate 16 promotional actions in the sector within the upcoming six months, with emphasizes on the return to the USA and Japan, in addition to the presence in all the main European events”.

Classics return to MICAM
MICAM, the biggest professional event today, celebrated the return of some companies specialized in the classic segment to the international stage. To some, the return felt like a debut. This is how Mariano Shoes’ participation in the Milan fair can be defined. After being acquired by the company All Around Shoes, in 2019, it is the come back of the company to international events abroad. Following the participation at Pitti Uomo, it was now the turn of the largest footwear fair in the world.

“The goal of the brand has always been the internationalization, but when the pandemic began we had to leave it at rest and channel investments to digital marketing”, says Fátima Oliveira, responsible for Mariano. As soon as the opportunity arose, the return was inevitable. “We want to position the brand at the best world showcases, and being present at international fairs is a way of showing the world that we are here”.

Hugo Manuel was also part of the group of newcomers at MICAM. The brand belongs to the company Hupa Shoes, which has more than 40 years of experience in the footwear sector. Specialized in the production of classic men’s shoes, the brand was in Milan to introduce its bet on new product segments, such as sneakers or more modern and comfortable classic shoes. “The business world is changing and, at trial times, we must adapt”, underlined Alexandre Santos, designer of the company.

The impact of the pandemic
According to the World Footwear 2021 Yearbook, world footwear production and exports fell 15.8% and 19%, respectively. The effect of the pandemic in the footwear sector was lesser than expected. Portuguese footwear has also endured better than its international competitors.

Concerning production, Portugal reported a drop of 13.2% to 66 million pairs, about half of the fall registered in Italy (a drop of 26.8% to 131 million pairs) and Spain (26.5% to 72 million pairs).

At the international level, Portugal continues to have, among the main world producers, the 2nd highest average export price, despite the significant effort to diversify the offer through products in raw materials alternative to leather. In the leather segment, Portugal profiles itself as the 9th world exporter, with a share of 3.1%. However, it is in the waterproof footwear segment that Portugal stands out the most: currently, it is the 4th in the world, with a share of 3.7%.

Source: www.portugueseshoes.pt