Number of firms in Italian footwear sector 2014-2021

As of June 2021, approximately 4.1 thousand companies were estimated to be active in the footwear manufacturing sector in Italy. The number decreased gradually since 2014, when there were 5,031 companies operating in the sector. The decrease affected also the employment figures of the sector. In 2019, 74.9 thousand individuals were employed in the footwear industry, compared to over 77 thousand in 2015.

Footwear manufacturing in Italy

Despite the decrease in the number of companies and employees, footwear manufacturing is still a strong sector in Italy. Production value increased overall from 2011 to 2019, when it reached roughly eight billion euros. Imports also increased significantly during the same period, reaching a value of 5.4 billion euros in 2019.

Exports value on an upward trend

Footwear, in particular leather shoes, is among the most liked Italian products abroad. However, due to the increase in the price of these products manufactured in Italy, the volume of the exports has been decreasing in the last few years. Despite the decrease in export volume, higher prices allowed the exports to increase steadily in value since 2012, reaching approximately ten billion euros in 2019.