The following research report contains market research, analysis, statistics and business intelligence relating to research on The Italian Footwear Industry.

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ABSTRACT
Italy is the leading shoe manufacturing country in the European Union, it also holds fifth place amongst world-wide footwear manufacturing countries and is the third largest exporter of footwear in the world. This is an indication of the success of the Italian footwear sector which, with its 7,570 companies and 113,000 employees, is of considerable importance to the Italian economy and represents one of the leading sectors in the Italian Fashion industry.

The success of the footwear sector in Italy is linked to Italian entrepreneurship and to the structure of the sector which consists of sub-suppliers of raw materials; tanneries; manufacturers of components, accessories and shoe making machinery; and model makers and designers.
This has resulted in a geographic concentration of companies in the so-called shoe manufacturing districts. The main districts are in the Lombardy, Veneto, Marche, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Campania and Puglia regions and cover 23 provinces. The leading position of the Italian shoe industry on the international market is due to the high quality of the product and the elevated capacity for innovation.

The characteristics that distinguish Italian production in the footwear sector are: creative talent; innovation of traditional manufacturing methods; skilled labour, produced by professional training schools; raw materials; accessories and components that are in the forefront of the field for technology and design; flexibility resulting from the geographic concentration and size of the companies; a wide range of designs to suit current trends and satisfy customer demands; customer service and the "Made in Italy"image.

The results obtained by the sector during the year 2000 have shown a significant reversal of the negative trend of the previous two years. Production figures have risen to 389.9 million pairs (+2.3 percent over 1999) equal to a value of 16.011 billion Lire (USD 7,620 million), an increase of 11.5 percent. Export figures have also shown positive results compared to 1999: 362.4 million pairs (+4.5 percent) for a value of 12,790 billion Lire (USD 6,090 million), an increase of 16.2 percent. Of the countries towards which exports are traditionally high, only Germany has shown a slight decline (-1.9 percent in volume) although it remains Italy's most important export market. The United States has reached second place in terms of volume having overtaken France, and first place in terms of value (+27.5 percent).

Imports have increased by +7.5 percent in quantity and +23.9 percent in value totaling 196 million pairs and 3.478 billion Lire (USD 1,656 million). Once again, the main suppliers were China, Rumania and Vietnam.
The U.S. has established a fairly stable footwear market in Italy in some areas such as leather boat shoes, and sport shoes. Unless a dramatic change in fashion occurs, the popularity of a few well-established brands is expected to continue in Italy in the near future. However, the high value of the dollar vis-ˆ-vis the lira will make some US-made footwear too expensive for the Italian market. The competition from East Asian manufacturers will be particularly strong in the sport shoes sector, which had been a strong niche for U.S. exporters to Italy in recent years

DISCLAIMER
Information in this report relies on sources including Government Publications, Opinions of industry experts and other public sources. Infomat can accept no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information or for loss or damage caused by any use thereof. All prices subject to change without notice.

$3500 USD
For the 2008 Edition

Published: 2006 August
Market: Womens
Region: Italy
Industry: Accessories
Pages: 45
Delivery: 7-12 Business Days
SKU: infre0000340