Portugal’s top shoe designer appointed leader of the European footwear industry

 In Industry, News

The President of the Portuguese Footwear Association, Luís Onofre, has been appointed president of the European footwear confederation for the next three years.

“The President of APICCAPS (Portuguese Footwear and Leather Goods Association) has been appointed President of the European Footwear Industries Confederation (CEC),” said Portugal’s Minister of the Economy Pedro Siza Vieira said during a visit by a delegation of 90 Portuguese footwear companies which will be taking part in the industry’s largest international fair MICAM in Milan until Wednesday.

The value of Portuguese footwear exports has grown steadily since 2010 from €1.3Bn to nearly €2Bn in 2017.

And since 2010 the Portuguese footwear sector has created 238 new ‘Made in Portugal’ brands, 24 of which were created in 2018.

The minister said the appointment was a reflection of the importance that the European Footwear Confederation placed on Portugal as a manufacturer and enabled the country to “contribute toward the affirmation of the European industry as well as raising Portugal’s image in Europe”.

Portugal’s shoe industry was out in force at the Milan fair as the second largest delegation in Europe after Spain.

Regarding the Portuguese sector’s performance worldwide in 2018, in which, according to the latest statistics from the National Statistics Institute (INE), saw exports increase 0.98% (84 million pairs), but had declined overall in value 2.85% to €1.9Bn, Siza Vieira said there was still “a lot of work to do going forward in terms of market diversification and overseas promotion.”