A Bumpy yet Promising Road Ahead for China Footwear Industry

A Bumpy Road Ahead

Figures show the number of shoe making factories on the mainland increased from 20,000 to more than 30,000 between 2002 and 2006, but orders were much slower, leading to an irrational "price war", experts said.



Industry newcomers, most of them SMEs, were further hit by an unfavorable marketing environment that included the appreciation of the yuan, price hikes of raw materials, rising labor and land costs, the reduction of the export refund rate and revised policy on custom duty deposit, analysts said.



"The industrial reshuffle has just begun. More SMEs without core competitiveness will be washed out and those with better technology and sound internal governance will survive," Xinhua said.



The Unfavorable Factors Now Facing Shoe Industry

More Cost for Labors

The Uprising in RMB

Raw Material Price Keeping Rising

Foreign Anti-dumping Charges

America Sub-prime Mortgage

The “Red Sea” Competition Within Shoe Manufacturers Themselves



Shoe Export Slows Down

Guangdong, a province in south China, exported 490 million pairs of shoes in January and February 2008, valued at USD 1.59 billion, decreasing 27.5% and 0.6% from one year before, citing customs statistics.



In the meantime, the average price of the exported shoes surged 37% year on year to USD 3.2 per pair. In the first month of 2007, the Beijing authorities reduced the export rebate rate in footwear products by 2 percentage points. The move has been further weighing on shoe makers, whose profit margin are not high, especially in the country's key footwear production base in the Pearl River Delta region, part of which are located in the province.



From September 2007, Guangdong's export of shoes began to fall, 18.5% year on year in November of the year and 20.3% and 35.7% in January and February 2008. Besides, in the first two months, the number of Shoes exporters in the delta decreased 1,855 year on year to 1,512, due to a rising renminbi, the US' subprime mortgage crisis and a rise in China's labor cost.



Footwear Industry Suffers from Anti-dumping Charges

The anti-dumping investigation carried out in 2005 by EU was followed by a recommendation of Italy, France, Spain and other countries to take measures against shoes exported by China and Vietnam.



It was in October 2006, that EU began to impose 16.5 and 10 percent anti-dumping tax on Chinese and Vietnamese leather shoes respectively.



This policy will expire soon in October 2008 but Italy has already urged EU to extend the anti-dumping measure.

Statistics from China Customs show that in 2007, the country exported around 180 million pairs of leather shoes to EU, which was a decline by 8.95 percent.



On the other hand, Vito Artioli, Chairman of Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani (ANCI) said that in 2007, the export of the shoes made by China and Vietnam to Italy declined by 15.4 percent, while, at the same time, the export of the shoes made by Macao and Cambodia increased by 72.8 and 90.7 percent respectively.



The request made by Italy was essentially on grounds that most of the shoes from Macao and Cabodia are actually made in China and Vietnam.



The Market is Promosing Concerning Female Fascination With Stylish Footwear

Shoes are an inexhaustible source of pleasure for most women.

FLATS: Daytime, comfortable shoes. Fashion notwithstanding, what you need rather than want is a trusty classic shoe - loafer, ballet pump and lace-up brogue all suffice.

HEELS: A low-heeled shoe or boot is good for daytime and a higher heel is awardrobe essential. I'd always pick astiletto heel as the most stylish, until you reach an age when it looks tarty or your feet simply won't oblige.

TRAINERS: Unfortunately for most women these are wardrobe staples, but opt for simple ones.

SANDALS: Go glamorous if you can justify it, but a few pairs of flip flops for the summer will suffice.

BOOTS: Ankle boots are the winter equivalent of flat shoes. Knee-high versions are indispensable in winter beneath skirts and over jeans.


Boots Series Are a Big Cake

Women need several boots to suit different occasions and clothing. Most of them feel wearing boots could enhance their beauty, and add scores to their temprement. Whether they have a great looking legs or not, they love to wear it, kind of like an addiction. Even in summer, there are still cooler boots to choose from, making women looking sexy and cool.



Boots are practical, warm and weatherproof but are less elegant than shoes and hard to look stylish in. Boots only look as good as the legs that wear them. This is true of boots worn with skirts or boots worn over skinny jeans - please, no, if you have piggy calves and bulging thighs. Boots with jeans are good. Cowboy boots with jeans can look great - sexy and chic without trying too hard - but only if you get the right jeans and boots. Slightly battered and faded on both counts.Boots are also an office-girl's winter staple, but not with skirt suits.



Four Manufacturer Bases of Footwear Industry in China

Guangdong Province

Many factories Close-downs is the must paid price for the industry transformation

Jingjiang City in Fujian Provice

Who will laugh at last? The “red sea” competition condition for the sports shoe in Olympic 2008 is getting more and more fierce.

Jiangsu Province

Brand cultivating and promotion is the core



New Opportunity Especially for Sports Shoes Market: Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

With the approaching of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, more and more Chinese customers attend in various of sports, athletic sports gradually become one of the parts which can’t lack of in common people’s life, Sports Shoes market will be more and more larger. Besides townsman’s professional demand to sport shoes is advancing.



The influence of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games to science and technology content of sports shoes product. Nowadays the current of product with the same quality is more and more serious, who can keep ahead of technology and make out larruping and suitable product for customers, who will be favorite. Besides, sport shoes manufactures need improve professional capability, at the same time enclose with athletic sports requirement, via reduce cost to supply bargain gym shoes product for person.



Compared with burgeoning markets such as Vietnam and India, experts said China still has advantages in terms of cheap power and water supply, excellent infrastructure and an integrated industry.