A New Trade Show Spotlighting Brazilian Footwear Is Coming This Fall

Spurred by increasing market demand, the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) has joined forces with NürnbergMesse Brasil to launch the all-new Brazilian Footwear Show (BFSHOW).

With two planned annual editions alternating between the cities of Porto Alegre and São Paulo, the fair will feature the autumn/winter and spring/summer collections of hundreds of national and international footwear and sports brands, showcasing the breadth of shoes made in Brazil.

The first and upcoming edition of the BFSHOW will be held from November 21 to 23, at the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (FIERGS) events center in Porto Alegre, an economic and cultural hub of the southern part of the country. Around 10,000 visitors and more than 100 brands across women’s, men’s and children’s shoes are expected to attend the three-day event, BFSHOW said. A full list of exhibitors is expected in the coming days, show organizers said.

The launch of this new trade fair comes at a time when Brazil remains the fourth largest market for footwear worldwide, exporting to over 165 countries across the world. According to show organizers, 142 million pairs of shoes were exported from Brazil worldwide in 2022, constituting a total export value of $1.3 billion.

What’s more, in 2022, a total of 848.6 million pairs of shoes were produced in the Latin American country, generating revenue of $6 billion. This represents an increase in sold units of almost 3.6 percent and total revenue of over 33 percent compared to 2021, BFSHOW organizers said.

In 2023, the production is expected to further increase by 1.7 percent, Abicalçados added. Until 2027, the annual revenue growth is expected to reach an average of around 20 percent. International named brands that choose to produce footwear in Brazil include Adidas, Nike, Vans, and Veja, to just name a few.

Haroldo Ferreira, CEO of Abicalçados, said in a statement that the Brazilian footwear industry is exceptionally strong, with 4,000 manufacturers, 8,000 companies and 300.000 employees. “Last year alone, we increased our exports by 15 percent in volume and by almost 50 percent in value.,” Ferreira said.

The United States has historically been the main destination for Brazilian footwear exports. In 2022, Brazil exported $334.6 million and 17.8 million pairs of shoes to the country, an increase of 46.4 percent in value and 17.7 percent in pairs compared to the previous year, Abicalçados said.

In the first half of 2023, Brazilian exports to the United States totaled $111.8 million and 5.3 million pairs. In value, Brazilian exports to the United States are almost 10 percent above their pre-pandemic level. The main segments exported by Brazil to the United States in the first semester were plastic and rubber footwear as well as leather footwear, representing 46 percent and 34 percent of exports in value, respectively.