The Development of the Global Shoe Industry
Market News

The Development of the Global Shoe Industry

The global production chain is constantly shifting, and so is the shoe industry. How should the trend of the shoe industry develop in the future?
Published: May 14, 2021
The Development of the Global Shoe Industry

After the epidemic, in 2021, global consumption power will gradually rise, various sports events will restart, and the footwear industry is booming. Nike and Adidas sales and store opening rates have recovered. From Taiwan's shoe materials and shoe factories, they have successively announced the first-quarter profit observations. All are good. The industry predicts that global sports shoe market demand will rebound steadily in 2021, and operations this year are optimistic. However, the appreciation of the New Taiwan Dollar in 2020 will cause the footwear industry to draw a lot of foreign exchange losses and interfere with profit performance. Whether the trend of the exchange rate of the New Taiwan Dollar in 2021 will affect the footwear industry again is worth observing.

Economic activities in various countries return to normal and economic stimulus programs, Nike and Adidas inventories are slowly falling, gross profit margins have rebounded, and orders placed on the supply chain will gradually return to normal. Nike is still optimistic about the future. As for Taiwanese suppliers, Winterthur’s revenue from Nike is more than 8% as the main beneficiary, while Baocheng and Baihe’s revenue contribution from Nike is 20-30% and 20-25% respectively. In 2021, Adidas' performance will return to normal and its gross profit margin will rebound. It has proposed a plan for the next five years. It is estimated that its annual revenue will grow by 8-10%, which will also positively help the supply chain.

According to statistics, the total global footwear production in 2017 reached 23.5 billion pairs, an annual increase of 2%, 87% concentrated in Asian manufacturing, and China continues to occupy 57.5% of the world’s largest footwear producer, with India and Vietnam And Indonesia are also listed as the world's top four footwear producing countries. Taiwan has gradually transformed and upgraded from a major shoe-making center to a purchasing center for raw materials management.
In terms of the consumer market, Asia is not only the production center of the global footwear industry but also the largest consumer market, accounting for approximately 54% of the total global footwear consumption in 2017. China, India, and the United States are the world’s top three footwear consumptions respectively. Countries, among which India surpassed the United States for the first time and became the world's second-largest shoe consumer country, reflecting economic trends and its huge population advantage.

According to the survey report, the sales of the global footwear market will increase by more than US$278 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 3%. Expanding product categories and penetrating emerging markets are the main key factors; and the global sports shoe market the scale is estimated to exceed USD 95 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of up to 5%. In addition to continuing to strengthen the functionality of sports shoes, major sports brands also continue to innovate and diversify their products to expand the target market of sports shoes to non-sports groups. The sports shoe market is expected to maintain steady growth in the future.

ASEAN countries are factories and markets

Although ASEAN is still regarded as a factory country at present, most manufacturers mainly set up production bases. However, the huge population and rapidly rising middle class of the ten ASEAN countries will follow the pace of China's first-tier cities and become domestic demand in the future. Countries with active markets. In 2014, among the ASEAN countries, Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia ranked the top three in terms of total imports, and among them, Vietnam grew the fastest. In other words, Vietnam is both the main shoe exporter and the main importer of the ASEAN countries. The scale of imports grew rapidly from US$407 million in 2013, and broke the US$1 billion mark in 2014, more than doubled.

Taiwan Footwear Industry

Subdividing the top three countries of the ASEAN countries for the import source of footwear products, it can be found that China is the largest, accounting for an average of more than 50% of the share. Taiwan ranks fourth in Vietnam, which is very close to South Korea. The real situation is that the proportion of Taiwan's exports to Vietnam has shown a trend of the declining year by year. This will lead to such reasons. In addition to some part of the production base relocation, another part of the reason still comes from the low-price competition in China and other emerging countries.

Published by May 14, 2021 Source :chinatimes, Source :ctee

Further reading

You might also be interested in ...

Headline
Market News
AI Pharmaceutical Market Expands Rapidly|Enhancing Drug R&D Efficiency and Investment Opportunities
From the inception of a new drug to its market launch, the process demands astronomical investments, prolonged development timelines, and faces countless risks at every stage. For decades, pharmaceutical companies have struggled along this arduous path, with many promising drugs failing to reach patients. However, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is ushering in a transformative era, disrupting traditional drug development paradigms. AI not only streamlines R&D workflows but also reshapes the global landscape of capital and innovation competition.
Headline
Market News
Edge AI Injects New Advantages into European and American Manufacturing
When traditional manufacturing equipment transforms from cold mechanical tools into “real-time smart devices,” Edge AI is quietly sparking an industrial revolution. Without relying on distant cloud computing, this breakthrough technology enables machines to instantly detect anomalies and respond in real time, greatly boosting factory operation speed while achieving unprecedented stability and safety. As the global market experiences explosive growth, leading companies in Europe and the US are racing to enter the field, with Edge AI accelerating the manufacturing industry toward a new era of “smart real-time” operations!
Headline
Market News
Micromanufacturing Equipment: A New Opportunity for Precision Manufacturing
The manufacturing revolution in the micro world is quietly sweeping across the globe! As the medical, electronics, and automotive industries rapidly increase their demand for high-precision micro components, the global micromanufacturing equipment market is experiencing unprecedented growth. From implantable medical devices to smart car sensors, these precision tools not only drive technological innovation but have also become key investment targets for major international corporations and governments. With the support of intelligent and automated technologies, the future of micromanufacturing will be faster and smarter, propelling the global manufacturing industry to new heights!
Headline
Market News
Global Machine Tool Green Revolution Initiated: Who Will Lead the Future Market?
The global manufacturing industry is facing an unprecedented green revolution, and the machine tool industry is at its epicenter. With the phased implementation of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and strict Eco-design directives, carbon emission thresholds for mechanical equipment have become mandatory. This isn't just a rule for the European market; Asia and the U.S. are also tightening their energy-saving requirements, forcing global machine tool manufacturers to completely restructure their products and processes. Companies that fail to comply with the new green standards may be excluded from international supply chains. A new green competition, which will determine corporate survival and future market position, has begun.
Headline
Market News
LLM Factory Smart Assistant: “AI as the Intelligent Navigator of the Factory”
Modern smart factories often face challenges with scattered data and information silos. Although sensors, SCADA, MES, and other systems continuously generate vast amounts of data, the lack of integration makes it difficult to quickly identify the root causes of anomalies. Large language models (LLMs) are emerging as a key solution by enabling cross-system data retrieval and analysis through natural language queries. Acting as “semantic coordinators” within multi-agent manufacturing systems, LLMs can dynamically adjust production schedules and resource allocation in real time. The article references examples from Microsoft Azure AI, AWS, Schaeffler, and Siemens to demonstrate how LLMs help reduce downtime, increase transparency, and improve decision-making efficiency. Finally, it highlights that as LLMs integrate with automation and visualization technologies, manufacturing will enter the “semantic era,” where operators can access production line insights conversationally and instantly, driving smart manufacturing toward greater flexibility and intelligence.
Headline
Market News
How Taiwan’s Machine Tool Industry Is Responding to Rising U.S. Tariffs and Market Uncertainty
This article discusses the impact of the U.S. increasing tariffs on Taiwanese machine tools, raising the rate from the original 4.4% to 20%. This sharp hike has significantly weakened Taiwan’s competitiveness in the U.S. market, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) being particularly hard-hit. In response, the industry has called for relaxed subsidy requirements and efforts to expand into new markets. Meanwhile, the government has introduced relief programs to help businesses reduce their dependence on the U.S. Despite the challenges, industrial transformation and close cooperation with the government remain key to moving forward.
Headline
Market News
The Talent Crunch Strikes! How Taiwan’s Machine Tool Industry Can Solve the Succession Crisis
Taiwan’s machine tool industry holds a crucial position in the global precision manufacturing supply chain. However, a silent "talent crunch" and "knowledge succession crisis" are now threatening its future. With the acceleration of smart manufacturing, AI, and automation, the industry's demand for high-end, cross-disciplinary talent—skilled in electrical control, software integration, and AI applications—has surged. Yet, the market supply is severely insufficient, hindering the industry's digital transformation and upgrade. Industry observers warn that if this gap continues to widen, Taiwan's international competitiveness in the machine tool sector could face significant challenges within the next five to ten years.
Headline
Market News
How Advances in Recycling Technology Impact Global Plastic Prices and Supply Chains
With plastic pollution becoming a central environmental concern, technological progress in recycling has emerged as a significant factor in shaping global plastic prices and the configuration of supply chains. In 2025, the evolution of chemical, mechanical, and digital recycling methods, alongside regulatory and market shifts, now interact in complex ways to influence the entire plastic value chain.
Headline
Market News
Laser Levelers: Precision Tools Driving Smart Construction
In the preparation of floors and foundations - where even minor deviations can have major consequences for machinery calibration, safety, or structural longevity - laser levelers have largely replaced traditional manual leveling methods, offering automation, speed, and pinpoint accuracy. Laser levelers - often referred to simply as laser levels - have become essential in a wide range of industries, from civil engineering and infrastructure projects to interior remodeling, equipment installation, and high-tech manufacturing.
Headline
Market News
Automated Food Manufacturing
The food processing industry is embracing automation and AI to boost efficiency, reduce errors, and ensure food safety. From material handling to packaging, smart systems enable stable operations, real-time monitoring, and data traceability—key to meeting market demands and securing global certifications. As more companies adopt AI and visual inspection technologies, the industry is entering a new era of data-driven, ESG-focused transformation.
Headline
Market News
How Blockchain Is Revolutionizing Supply Chain Management in the Textile Industry
The textile industry is one of Taiwan's major industries, covering a wide range from raw material procurement to end consumption. However, this large and complex supply chain has accumulated long-standing issues, such as unclear labor rights, environmental degradation, lack of transparency, and unclear product origins. As consumer demand for sustainable products increases, improving supply chain transparency and ensuring product quality has become a significant challenge.
Headline
Market News
Engineering Plastics for 5G EMI Shielding and Thermal Control
The global rollout of 5G technology has been a catalyst for rethinking the materials used in next-generation devices. Unlike previous mobile generations, 5G relies heavily on millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies, which offer faster data speeds but are more vulnerable to interference. With escalating demands for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and thermal regulation in compact, high-frequency environments, advanced plastics are becoming the backbone of 5G infrastructure. Taiwan manufacturers are engineering high-performance polymers that meet the complex requirements of these modern telecommunications.
Agree