The 2014 edition of the GAPI awards (Innovation Design Awards for the Footwear Industry) are a joint initiative of the Portuguese Footwear Technological Center (CTCP) and the National Institute of Industrial Property (INOPI).

In recent years, GAPI has awarded nearly three dozen of Portuguese companies and brands.

With the 12th edition of the Innovation Design Awards, five Portuguese companies and a young designer were distinguished by the innovative nature of the collections presented during the fair.

. Innovative footwear – Man: Profession Bottier
Born in 1947 Profession: Bottier was created by two partners Manuel Alcides and Elísio Avelar, in the north of Portugal. Both have more than 40 years of experience in the shoe business and own the complete know-how to produce shoes.
www.professionbottier.com

. Innovative footwear – Woman: Lemon Jelly
Lemon Jelly is a recent brand born within an experienced Portuguese footwear company, which after 40 years designing and producing injected soles for all around the world have decided it was time to use their knowledge to create innovative lady’s footwear.
www.lemonjellyshoes.com

. Innovative footwear – Children: Bo-bell
Bo-Bell is a Portuguese kid' shoes brand, specialized in small sizes, between number 18 and 36. The name results from the pronunciation of the French word's "beau - belle" meaning handsome - beautiful.
www.bo-bell.pt


. Revelation Award – LAZULI
Brand Lazuli gets its name from the blue of the semiprecious stone lapis lazuli. Allying tradition and modernity, in one of their most recent collection they got inspired from one of the symbols of Portugal, the azulejo, a kind of tin-glazed ceramic tilework. The brand’s moto is Lazuli, Portuguese inspiration, expressing the strong will to recover the identity with Portuguese roots.
www.lazuli.en

. Prestige Collection – Centenário
Founded in 1941, the men’s footwear company is now focused in the Goodyear System. Using this kind of construction, in 2009, the company started producing golf shoes, to meet a market niche with enormous growth potential.
www.centenario.com.pt

. Young Talent Award - Nelson Oliveira
A young designer 3 times awarded for Best Graduated Student (2006, 2007 and 2008), Nelson Oliveira is now working on its own brand, Nelson Oliveira - footwear and accessories, after work developed with Portuguese brands Nobrand & Pedreira.
nelsonoliveira.yolasite.com