After two years of stabilisation, in 2018, global footwear was characterised by positive dynamics: this is what emerges from the annual report of the World Footwear Yearbook 2019 published by Appicaps.

Footwear production and exports returned to a growth trend in 2018, up +2.7% and +4.3% respectively. Moreover, over the course of the last 9 years of results published by this report, production has grown by +20.7% altogether, while global exports are up by +30.8% in volume and by +80.8% in value.

In 2018, production arrived at 24.2 billion pairs. In terms of geographical distribution, the way is once again led by Asia where 9 pairs out of ten are produced. Asia is also first in the classification of exports, with China in particular responsible for two-thirds of global trade for a value of 142 billion dollars, but with quantities below the 15.2 billion pairs recorded in 2015. Despite its leading role, China over the last nine years has continued to lose shares, for a loss of -9%.

The Portuguese report also highlights how over the last ten years consumer trends have changed, with a tendency to increasingly reflect present-day demographic and economic dynamics. Asia accounts for 54% of the shares in global consumption with a growth trend of +5%, while China is first in the classification of countries with 18.2% of the shares. Neither Europe nor North America exceed 15%.

As far as exports are concerned, Europe continues to experience a downtrend in values, accounting for a 37.7% share, while its quantities are equal to a 13.6% share of the global market. Asia is instead responsible for 4 out of 5 pairs exported. First place in the classification of imports goes to Europe, which buys 1 out of every 3 pairs, but Asia is quickly rising in the classification and now accounts for 20% of the total (in 2010, it only accounted for a 1.8% share).