The disappearing shoemakers are said to be manufacturers producing low-end products, with companies focusing on high-end market to ensure they stay on the game. On a release by CLIA it is also possible to read that “shoes export in Dongguan slightly dropped but value remains as much as that at the same time of previous year”.

According to the same source, “sales of the high-end leather shoes and goods surged over 100% compared with two years ago that accounts for 70% of total sales revenues of leather goods in the city.”

Shoemakers in the city are importing larger quantities of leather after finding domestic supplies do not reach their quality requirements, which also backs up this tendency of the industry to position itself in high end products.