World Footwear Yearbook 2022

2021: GLOBAL FOOTWEAR MARKET RECOVERS FROM THE PANDEMIC BUT IS STILL FAR FROM AN ALL-TIME HIGH. DESPITE THE RECOVERY, COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS KEPT WORLD PRODUCTION 2 BILLION PAIRS BELOW PRE-PANDEMIC VALUES.

In 2021 footwear production and exports grew by 8.6% and 7.4%, respectively. Data are taken from the World Footwear 2022 Yearbook just released by APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association. Global footwear production exceeded the 22 billion pairs threshold but is still below pre-pandemic levels. Last year 13 billion pairs were exported worldwide, representing a partial recovery from the drop registered in 2020 but remaining below that of any other year in the last decade.

FOOTWEAR PRODUCTION GROWS BY 8.6% BUT IS STILL BELOW PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS

In 2021 global footwear production increased by 8.6%, exceeding 22 billion pairs. Nonetheless, production is still 2 billion pairs below pre-pandemic level.

At continental level, the pandemic did not interrupt the trend towards geographic concentration of footwear manufacturing. The footwear industry continues to be strongly concentrated in Asia where almost 9 out of every 10 pairs of shoes are manufactured, resulting in a share of 88% of the world total (more than half of a percentage point than in the previous year).

China is the world's largest footwear producer (54.1%) but its share of the world production continues to slowly decrease in favour of other Asian countries, especially Vietnam. Over the last decade China has lost more than 6 percentage points of share.

ASIA ACCOUNTS FOR MORE THAN HALF OF GLOBAL CONSUMPTION