Asia remained the undisputed centre of global footwear trade, accounting for 84.3% of all pairs exported worldwide. The region continued to dominate international supply chains, reflecting its unrivalled manufacturing capacity and well-established export infrastructure. However, its share of global exports edged slightly below the level observed in 2024, suggesting a modest rebalancing within the global market.

In contrast, Europe strengthened its position, increasing its share of worldwide footwear exports to 13.1%. This gain indicates that part of the adjustment in global trade flows occurred within Europe's extensive distribution, logistics and re-export networks. The trend highlights the continued importance of European trading hubs in connecting producers and consumer markets across the world.

Meanwhile, North America, Africa, South America and Oceania collectively represented less than 2.6% of global footwear exports, underlining the highly concentrated nature of the industry. Although these regions play important roles in specific market segments, their contribution to overall export volumes remains comparatively limited.

WORLD FOOTWEAR YEARBOOK 2026

APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear Association, has now published the 16^th edition of its World Footwear Yearbook, launched in 2011. The Yearbook analyses the most important trends within the worldwide footwear industry. The availability of data for 2025, both in quantity and value, makes it possible to position the main players with regard to production, consumption, exports, and imports. This publication also includes a specific analysis of 84 different markets, as well as addressing the evolution of the sector’s leading global players.

The World Footwear Yearbook 2026 is now on sale from our store.