Industry takes shoe shiners to Milan to defend leather shoes

It will be in Milan, at Micam, the largest international footwear fair, that the Portuguese industry will defend leather to international buyers and consumers. Its aim is to “debunk prejudice”, as opposed to the competitive arguments that “make leather shoes a top product”. Moreover, for APICCAPS, led by Luís Onofre, leather is “undoubtedly the best raw material available on the market”, namely in terms of sustainability and circular economy, and sustainability. You will be given two shoe shiners to remind you of the thousands of visitors who will pass through Micam from September 18 to 21.

Traditionally, leather has been the raw material most used by the Portuguese industry and has been devoted almost exclusively to the classic footwear segment for many years. In 2010, leather footwear accounted for 91% of national exports, today it stands at 85% as consumer behavior has changed and in recent decades has favored more sporty footwear, much of which is produced in other materials. Moreover, with the increase of vegetarians and vegans, many are consumers who refuse to buy leather goods. For the shoe association, the choice is in many cases clouded by “bias that does not correspond to the truth”, with the intention therefore to focus its international communication on pedagogical actions, so that the consumer can make informed decisions. “It is important that no one at the limit thinks that we breed cows to produce shoes, the sector benefits from the waste from the food industry and promotes the circular economy,” emphasizes the association’s communication director.

And, “contrary to what could have been predicted”, Paulo Gonçalves guarantees, meat consumption is “rising and breaking records”: it grew by 5.2% worldwide between 2016 and 2020, and should have increased by about 15% by 2021 for ” new all-time high”. China alone has recorded a cumulative 41% growth in meat consumption since 2016.

To assess the sustainability of leather, APICCAPS turned to INSURE.hub, the project that brings together the Católica Porto Business School and the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia with Planetiers New Generation, and aims to create a “vibrant international ecosystem of transdisciplinary knowledge.” create that of circular, sustainable and regenerative scope, powered by disruptive technologies”. The results of this work will be disseminated, with actions on the ground, namely in professional events, with potential customers, but also with a promotion aimed at end users, with advertisements in magazines and videos on social networks.

“Over the past year, involving Swedish entities, we have tried to study all the statistics that allow us to compare the different materials used in the footwear industry, try to understand the impact of leather compared to other products and how we can make even better,” explains Paulo Gonçalves, pointing out not only promoting the circular economy, but also other determinants of sustainability, such as durability or the lack of washing, and the resulting use of water in maintenance. “Although international studies suggest that the average life of a pair of shoes is one year, tests show that leather shoes have a significantly longer life. In addition, they are items that can be treated and repaired, giving the product a new appearance. And that adds value,” the association said.

It’s true that leather shoes cost more than twice as much as textiles, but for APICCAPS, sustainability is also about consuming less. The industry’s belief is that “Portuguese shoes will be the natural choice for an informed consumer, who prefers to buy more expensive items that last longer, while also protecting the planet and the environment”.

It is recalled that 22 billion pairs of shoes were produced worldwide in 2021, a number that has grown year on year, excluding the pandemic period. 88% are from Asian countries. By volume, more than half of the production consists of rubber or plastic shoes. In terms of value, leather leads with a world share of 37.7%. “22 billion is too much,” says Paulo Goncalves, guaranteeing that Portugal does not intend to produce more, but better.

With 76 million pairs produced in 2021, Portugal is the 19th largest producer in the world and the 9th largest exporter of leather shoes. It should be noted that Portugal managed to produce 109 million pairs of shoes in the 1990s, but with a lower added value. Keep in mind that exports at the time did not exceed 1,300 million euros; this year, and if the trajectory of the first semester continues, they are expected to be able to beat the best result ever, the 1,956 million in 2017.

But this does not mean that the sector will focus exclusively on leather – “we cannot be insensitive to the market, we must have solutions to meet the demand” – or that there is no way to improve the conditions for the preparation of hides. to improve. Just like with other materials. The BioShoes4All project, which is funded by the PRR, specifically aims to develop sustainable solutions for the shoe and fashion cluster. 70 partners are involved, representing an investment of 129.5 million euros. The use of water-based adhesives, the reduction or elimination of chromium-based tanning and the preference for hides from livestock kept on extensive pastures are some of the good practices to be implemented, as are the principles of transparency and traceability .