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Asia expected to Present the Fastest Growth in Footwear Production
In the latest World Footwear Business Conditions Survey we asked our panel of experts about the region which will experience the fastest growth in footwear production over the next five years. Asia ranked first. Africa was listed as a potential emerging hub
Note - This survey took place by the end of 2024, before the announcement of several tariffs by the United States.
When asked which region they expect to experience the fastest growth in footwear production over the next five years, 66.4% of respondents overwhelmingly identified Asia as the leading region. This highlights Asia’s continued dominance in the global footwear manufacturing industry, driven by factors such as established production infrastructure, cost advantages, and access to raw materials and skilled labor.
Africa ranks a distant second with 17.8% of responses, reflecting its potential as an emerging hub for footwear production, likely due to improving industrial capacities and growing investments in the region. Europe (9.3%), South America (3.7%) and North America (2.8%) lag significantly, signaling that these regions may face challenges in expanding production at
a competitive pace.
Interestingly, regional biases are evident in the responses. A majority of respondents in Africa (61%) believe their region will see the fastest growth, reflecting optimism in the continent’s industrial evelopment and untapped potential. Similarly, in South America, most responses are evenly split between South America and Asia (40% each), suggesting a more divided perception of the region's future prospects.
These findings indicate that while Asia is broadly recognized as the leader in growth potential, local perspectives may be shaped by regional dynamics, aspirations, and varying levels of confidence in domestic industries.
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Contents
Executive SummaryBusiness Context
Health of the Business
Employment Level
Prices
Quantity
Difficulties
Retail Channels
Footwear Consumption to Increase by 8.4% in 2025
Asia to Present the Fastest Growth in Footwear Production
3D Printing in the Footwear Industry
About Survey
About the Survey
In 2019 the World Footwear has created the World Footwear Experts Panel and is now conducting a Business Conditions Survey every semester.
The objective of the World Footwear Experts Panel Survey is to collect information regarding the current business conditions within the worldwide footwear markets and disseminate this information to provide an accurate overview of the situation of the global footwear industry. The eleventh edition of this online survey was conducted during the months of November and December 2024.
We have obtained 107 valid answers, 49% from Asia, 21% from Africa, 18% from Europe, 6% from North America, 5% from South America, and 1% from Oceania. About half of respondents are involved in footwear manufacturing (manufacturers) or footwear trade and distribution (traders) and the other half in other footwear-related activities, including trade associations (12%), education and research (8%), consultancy (8%) and other activities (23%).
Previous Editions of this Bulletin can be found HERE
