Based on data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the Portuguese Association of Footwear, Components, Leather Goods and Related Products Industries (APICCAPS) describes this as "a moderate, but still positive, evolution, within a particularly demanding framework for international trade."

"In a global context marked by high economic and commercial instability, the Portuguese footwear industry ended 2025 in positive territory, bucking the international trend recorded by the main world producers," it highlights in a statement.

In 2024, according to the latest data from INE, Portuguese footwear exports totalled 66.7 million pairs, worth €1,705 million.

Last year, APICCAPS highlighted the performance of Portuguese footwear compared to its main international competitors, noting that "traditionally dominant countries in the sector registered declines in exports, namely two of Portugal's main direct competitors": Italy, whose exports fell by 1% in value, and Spain, where the drop was 3%.

Among the world's major producers, the association also notes that China – responsible for more than 50% of global production – registered an 11% decline, while Turkey showed a 13% decrease and Brazil suffered a contraction of nearly 2%.

In 2025, the Portuguese footwear sector maintained sustained growth, primarily driven by performance in European markets, which grew by 3.3% to €1,420 million.

The association highlights the effort to "mitigate the effects of the instability" seen in the North American market, ensuring that if performance in that country had met expectations, the sector's final results in 2025 would have been more significant.

"Indeed, it was in the United States that Portuguese footwear faced the greatest difficulties in 2025, registering a 12.3% drop to €84 million," it states.

Quoted in the press release, the CEO of APICCAPS, Paulo Gonçalves, considers that last year's results "demonstrate the adaptability and competitiveness of the Portuguese footwear industry in a particularly difficult international context."

"The sector faces a global scenario marked by increasing uncertainty and commercial volatility, with benchmark markets such as Germany and France showing signs of slow and moderate recovery, while a situation of strong instability persists in the United States," he explains.

He also highlights that the European independent retail sector continues "to undergo a very significant restructuring process, with the disappearance of thousands of points of sale, which has greatly penalised Portuguese companies."

According to Paulo Gonçalves, these results “confirm the importance of the Portuguese industry's focus on higher value-added segments, prioritising quality, design, innovation, and speed of response to markets.”

However, he warns that “maintaining international competitiveness requires companies to pursue a continuous effort of modernisation, investment, and adaptation to the new dynamics of global trade.”