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The Italian footwear sector
In 2023, Italy confirmed itself as by far the leading footwear producer in the European Union (with 147.9 million pairs produced, approximately 30% of the total).
Holds thirteenth place amongst world-wide footwear manufacturing countries in volume terms.
It is the eighth exporting country in the world in volume, but the third in terms of value behind China and Vietnam and the second in value, behind Vietnam, with reference only to footwear with leather uppers [2023 data, WorldFootwearYearbook, 2024 edition].
Italy has always been the undisputed leader among manufacturers of luxury and high level shoes having a high fashion content.
The Italian footwear sector is one of the pillars of the Fashion System.
It has about 3,500 companies, over 73,000 employees and a trade balance that has always been active (5.75 billion euros in 2023).
2023 was a double-speed year for the Italian footwear industry, in which the brilliant performance of the first quarter, with double-digit increases in exports and turnover, was followed by a progressive slowdown.
The final figures processed for Assocalzaturifici by the Confindustria Accessori Moda Research Centre show a positive (albeit weak) change in turnover (which stood at €14.58 billion, +0.6% over 2022) and in foreign sales in value (which came close to €12.7 billion, +0.2%), with non-negligible setbacks in terms of volume.
The recessionary trend in demand in terms of quantity, both on the domestic front and on international markets, has severely penalized domestic production, which fell to just under 148 million pairs, for a value estimated instead to rise to 8.9 billion euros due to the inflationary dynamics that dominated much of the year.
The footwear sector represents a reality of extreme qualitative and quantitative importance in the Italian economy.
The success of the sector in Italy is linked to the lively entrepreneurial spirit and to the typical structure of the sector, which is part of a “supply chain”, an operational system consisting of sub-suppliers of raw materials, tanneries, components, accessories, machinery manufacturers, model makers and stylists.
This has resulted in a territorial concentration of companies and the formation of shoe manufacturing districts. The main districts are located in the following regions: Marches, Tuscany, Veneto, Campania, Lombardy, Apulia and Emilia Romagna and cover 23 provinces.
The leading position of the Italian shoe industry on the International markets is due to the sector’s high level of competitiveness based on the superior quality of the product and an elevated capacity for innovation.
The characteristics that distinguish Italian production in the footwear sector are: creative talent, innovation of traditional manufacturing methods and skilled labour thanks also to the existence of professional training schools; raw materials, accessories and components that are in the forefront for technology and design; flexibility, thanks to the territorial concentration and size of the companies; a wide range of designs to suit current trends and satisfy customer demands; customer service and the “Made in Italy” image.
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– Highlights 2023 and notes_EN
