Italy to help Mexican shoemakers go global

Mexico is an ancient country striving for a global future in modern footwear production.

Companies working in Mexico's footwear industry are receiving guidance from an Italian fashion business on ways to boost their international market share. The plan is to concentrate on original designs rather than lower-priced copies of styles that are already popular.

Luis Gerardo Gonzalez Garcia, president of the Guanajuato Footwear Industry Chamber, stressed that Mexican footwear producers need to be more open to an international approach. With this goal in mind, an Italian firm has been hired to give support in achieving professional designs that meet the demand from international markets.

The state of Guanajuato is said to account for 70 per cent of Mexican footwear production. Companies located there reportedly made over seven million pairs of shoes in the first quarter of 2017. Exports were sent to 45 countries, generating nearly $130 million.

The project – called ‘Shoes from Mexico’ – comprises 15 Guanajuato companies that are now working on crafting what has been described as ‘a new, distinctively Mexican style’. According to one of the Italian consultants employed on the venture, the first step to producing an international product involves travelling around the world to investigate markets and to learn what international customers want regarding quality, colours and textures.

Mexican shoemakers produced around 250 million pairs of shoes and boots in 2014. Just over 26 million pairs were exported during that year, 70 per cent being shipped to the USA.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 2 of the October 2017 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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