Lisbon, Sept. 5, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal will be represented by 42 companies at MICAM, the "most important and prestigious" international footwear fair, which takes place in Milan, Italy, from Sunday to Tuesday.
"This is the most important and prestigious international fair, where we have the strongest Portuguese representation. This fair allows us to connect with customers from all over the world, beyond Europe, the US, Canada, Japan, and Korea," said Paulo Gonçalves, spokesperson for the Portuguese Footwear, Components, Leather Goods and Substitutes Manufacturers Association (APICCAPS), in statements to Lusa.
Despite the good performance of the Portuguese footwear sector this year, gaining ground on its main competitors, namely Italy and Spain, some doubts remain as to the outcome of the second half of the year.
This period is being marked by the tariff agreement between the US and Europe, the collateral consequences of which for the footwear sector are not yet clear.
On the other hand, some of the markets considered most relevant are showing very modest economic performance, namely Germany, which is "on the threshold of a technical recession" and to which Portugal exports €400 million worth of shoes every year, pointed out the APICCAPS communications director.
Even so, the Portuguese footwear sector is "relatively optimistic" given the investment that has been made in the industry.
More than €100 million is currently being invested in projects related to areas such as automation and more sustainable solutions.
"We have prepared ourselves for difficult times. We want to be one of the leading international references in terms of sustainable solutions and we have invested heavily. This is a difficult and demanding time, but we have done our homework," said Paulo Gonçalves.
In this context, the products resulting from the BioShoes4All project will be presented for the first time. The project involves 70 partners, including research entities and companies, and is supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
This project, which focuses on sustainability, uses products that allow for rapid production but also promote recycling, including rice husks, cereals, olive pits, chestnuts, mussel shells, vine prunings and seaweed, to reinforce new materials, insoles, reinforcements and shoe soles.
According to data provided by APICCAPS, in the first half of 2025, Portuguese footwear exports increased by 3.7% in value to €843 million.
Between January and June, 36 million pairs were exported, an increase of 5.4%. In 2024, exports from the footwear cluster reached €2.147 billion.
Last year, Portugal produced 80 million pairs of shoes, of which 68 million pairs were exported, worth €1.724 billion.
During this period, Portuguese footwear was sold in more than 170 countries, with Belize being the most recent destination.
With regard to new markets, APICCAPS "refined its strategy" and identified 145 cities around the world with the capacity to receive Portuguese footwear, which is also one of the most expensive in the world, justified by its specialisation in leather.
Two-thirds of these cities are in Europe or the United States.
The Footwear Cluster Strategic Plan provides for an investment of €600 million by 2030.
MICAM, which is celebrating its 100th edition, has more than 1,000 brands and expects around 42,000 visitors.
PE/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
