LEATHER & FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY IS CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE STRONGEST POWERHOUSE SECTORS IN GUANAJUATO STATE
Leather & Footwear industry is considered as one of the strongest powerhouse sectors in Guanajuato State, with 165 million pair of shoes produced in Mexico, 132 million were manufactured in Guanajuato, equivalent to 80% of the national production.
According to INEGI studies made in 2019, the leather & footwear industry in Mexico is composed by around 9,000 economical unites, including 4,698 companies located in Guanajuato.
This ecosystem generates directly and indirectly, formal jobs to 141,000 people in our state. It represents 3% of our GDP according to the CICEG (Guanajuato Footwear Chamber of Commerce)
Footwear Exports per tariff fraction in
2020 in Guanajuato (Volume in pairs):
In the last years, local footwear and leather industry has been growing thanks to the international demand. Leon is the most consolidated leather and footwear cluster in Mexico, and has been nominated has the world footwear capital, for its high-volume production and quality.
In the 2020 1st semester, the 5 main exported finished goods from the industry were:
Guanajuato products are now exported to 33 diferent countries in the world, for a total of $108 million USD in 2020, made from 207 different companies located in 8 diferent cities, generating almost 30,000 direct jobs.
Leon also hosts two internationally recognized leather & footwear industries fairs:
the most important international trade fair for footwear & leather goods in Latin America and the second most important in the Americas. It is the largest commercial showcase in the Mexican footwear and leather goods industry, with over 97,000 products exhibited across 10 pavilions. SAPICA faire is hosted every year in August, in Leon´s Poliforum Convention Center, it gathers the best manufacturers, and allows hundreds of brands to gather in one place alongside 90% of the national footwear offering. The event showcases a large variety of lines with countless models and styles, including cowboy boots, casual boots, tennis shoes, flats, sandals, moccasins, school footwear, specialized niche footwear, such as orthopedic and clinical footwear, footwear for diabetics, slippers, safety shoes, as well as sport shoes for golf and cycling. Regarding leather goods and clothing, SAPICA also brings together the best of jackets, pants, vests, skirts, bags, backpacks, briefcases, wallets, belts, and other accessories. The diversity of materials is also another attractive aspect of the fair, since one can find products for all tastes, ranging from those made from calf, goat, or pig skins to more exotic skins, or those manufactured with synthetics and textiles.
VISIT WEBSITE
The ANPIC trade faire takes place every year around the month of March and hosts exhibitors from the tanning, footwear components and accessories, footwear and tanning machinery, and footwear and tanning chemical sectors. During 3 to 4 days, more than 20,000 visitors from 30 different countries meet to discover the variety of leather products and components, in Leon, Guanajuato.
VISIT WEBSITEFootwear and Leather Industry in Guanajuato is highly diversified and divided into 2 segments. Companies dedicated to satisfying national market with recognized wholesale customers as Walmart, Coppel, Price Shoes, Liverpool, Costco, and Soriana. Other companies represent their own brands or exports to retail companies as Andrea, C&A, Frye, Satcy Baldwin, Steve Madden, Wolverine, Zara among others. Depending on the segment where they belong, processes can be labor intensive with handmade cutting and sewing process or technologically integrated with robotics and highly monitored production for a best added value product.
Guanajuato offers a diverse and experimented labor pool, honoring a great tradition of shoemakers and leather craftsmanship, now serving the fashion industry and the automotive industry with high quality seats for premium and luxury brands.
