Global footwear production totalled 24.6 billion pairs in 2025, edging up by just 0.1 per cent compared with the previous year, according to the sixteenth edition of the World Footwear Yearbook published by the Portuguese Footwear Association (APICCAPS). The figure follows a revised estimate for 2024, which now indicates growth of close to 10 per cent for that year.
While global export volumes fell by 0.1 per cent, the overall value of trade rose by 1.6 per cent to reach 172 billion dollars. The value increase was driven by a recovery in the average export price, which reached $11.65 per pair following a decline in 2024. The average price stood at $8.87 in 2016 and remains below the record high of $11.96 recorded in 2023. Regional pricing differences remain marked, with export prices averaging $34.76 per pair in Europe compared with $8.02 in Asia.
Asia continues to represent 88.7 per cent of global footwear production and 56 per cent of worldwide consumption. China produced 13.7 billion pairs, accounting for 55.6 per cent of total production, followed by India with 3 billion pairs (12.2 per cent) and Vietnam with 1.7 billion pairs (6.7 per cent). Outside Asia, only Brazil (3.4 per cent) and Mexico (0.9 per cent) feature among the world’s top ten producers.
Shifts are also underway in export markets. China exported 9 billion pairs, but its share of global exports fell to 61.2 per cent, down from 69.1 per cent a decade ago. Vietnam was the main beneficiary of this shift, lifting its export share to 11.2 per cent. In Europe, Germany ranks fourth globally in export volume, with Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands serving as logistics and re-export hubs.
Per capita consumption continues to show stark regional disparities. An average of 4.6 pairs per person were purchased in North America, compared with 4.1 in Europe and 1.6 in Africa. In total volume, China remains the leading consumer market with 4.8 billion pairs, followed by India with 2.8 billion and the United States with 1.95 billion pairs.
