A new show for private label, named Co-Shoes International Workshop, will take place for the first time in Elche, in the province of Alicante, the region where most of the Spanish shoemaking capacity is located. The first edition of the new event will take place on the 22nd and 23rd of October at the Alicante Exhibition Centre.


The event, organised by the Spanish Footwear Industries Federation (FICE), aims to promote and boost the productive capacity of the Spanish and European footwear industry. This event is intended for professionals from the footwear industry and it is to be held biannually in May and October, at the same time as Futurmoda (International Exhibition of Leather, Components and Machinery for Footwear).

World Footwear spoke to Javier García Lillo, General Secretary of FICE, to get to know all the details about the event.

Do you want to tell us a bit more about Co-Shoes, the new trade event for the footwear industry? What are the expectations of the organization?
CO-SHOES is a workshop for “outsourcing” in the footwear sector to promote and boost the productivity capacity of the Spanish; and also Portugal, Italy and other European countries.
Our main objective is to define CO-SHOES as an international platform focused on the exchange of information and the initiation of new business between shoe manufacturers and international brands. The expectations of the organization are to get more than a hundred exhibitors from Spain, Portugal and other European Countries.

In your view why should the footwear industry companies and brands attend the first edition of the fair in October?
During the last few years, many international brands are coming back to Europe to produce their collections, based in quality, innovation, and design. The answers to those requirements are being given by the European manufacturers with their quality production capacity. CO-SHOES is designed so that manufacturing companies on one side, and, international brands, major retailers, chain stores, and designers on the other, can present their needs and projects in the footwear sector. CO-SHOES wants to be the international meeting point for manufacturers and brands customers.

In your view what will be the main challenges and opportunities for the overall footwear industry in the next few years and for the Spanish industry in particular?
The challenges and opportunities in the next few years are very similar for the Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French footwear Industry, and those challenges are to produce the highest quality shoes in the world, with innovation, design, fashion, design. The only two ways to guarantee our factories opened in the future are: produce in Europe, and to export to the international markets. 

You can find more information about Co-Shoes by visiting the event’s website.