Portugal consolidated, in 2025, its overtaking of Spain in footwear production, maintaining second place among European producers in the sector. According to the World Footwear Yearbook 2026, published by APICCAPS, the country rose to 18th place among the world's largest producers, led by China with 55% of global production. Portugal represented 0.3% of world production in quantity and 0.5% in value, having exported 93% of the footwear produced to 174 markets. The country ranked 13th among the world's largest exporters by value, with sales of 1.949 billion dollars, and 17th in quantity, with 69 million pairs exported.
The average export price increased by 2.5%, to 28.25 dollars per pair, keeping Portugal in second place globally, behind Italy. After two years of declining foreign sales, Portuguese exports grew 0.8% in 2025, contrary to the negative trend recorded by Italian and Spanish industries. In the first six months of 2026, national exports fell 2.1% year-on-year, to 813 million euros, although with smaller losses than Italy and Spain.
The executive director of APICCAPS, Paulo Gonçalves, stated that the Portuguese industry is going through a very difficult period, common to major global producers, but managed to resist better than many competitors. The sector faces geopolitical pressures, namely the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, which impact access to luxury markets, in addition to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz that influence cost increases. Germany was the main destination in 2025, with 24% of exports, followed by France with 20%, the Netherlands and Spain with 11% each, and the United Kingdom with 6%.
The Portuguese industry is diversifying materials and product categories. Leather footwear fell from 69% of exports three years ago to 58%, while rubber and plastic products increased from 13% to 21% and textiles from 8% to 12%. Portugal already ranks fifth globally in waterproof footwear, with a 3.4% share. Paulo Gonçalves argues that it will be necessary to continue investing in innovation, sustainability, qualification, and external promotion to defend the space gained, stressing that the position achieved does not allow complacency.
