FOOTWEAR in Turkey
Turkey’s footwear industry has developed at a rapid pace due to modern manufacturing processes, the availability of major quality raw materials, skilled workers and high design capacity.
Today the Turkish footwear industry has a strong position among exporters of high quality fashion goods. Another sign of positive development is the increase in foreign investments in the sector.
It is obvious that the footwear industry is extremely dependent on the leather industry of Turkey. The Turkish leather industry, which has a history of 500 years, is becoming a leading center in the world leather industry.
The Turkish leather industry, which occupies a prominent place in the Turkish economy, continues to develop day by day by combining new technology and its historical background.
Although the initial efforts to modernize the leather industry began in the 70s, significant progress at a real industrial scale began in the mid-80s.
The sector produces according to international standards and is becoming more sensitive to health and the environment – about 90% of the production is based on health and environmental standards. Leather is one of Turkey’s leading export sectors.
The export figure of the leather sector (including footwear) for 2018 was about US$ 1.6 billion.
PRODUCTION
The shoe industry, which began to appear as a small-size industry in 1950, is a well-developed industry now. Especially in the 1980s, significant investments in machinery parks were made and now, over 15% of the sector has completed its industrialization process.
About 70% of the production in the sector is carried out by semi-mechanized production processes and almost 15% of production is hand-made. According to Social Security Institution Statistics there are 6.544 workplaces producing leather and leather related products and 65.257 insured persons in 2019.
Turkey’s shoe production reached more than 392 million pairs1 , including sneakers, boots, plastic shoes and slippers. Almost 50% of the total number of companies is active in Istanbul. Konya, Gaziantep, İzmir, Ankara, Manisa, Hatay are other important shoe production centers in Turkey.
The footwear sector relies on Turkish-made shoe production machinery, as well as shoe parts. The share of the shoe parts industry in the total shoe industry production is around 5% and production is quite diversified.
The soles, heels, casting molds and the welt of the shoes are exported. The shoe parts industry is located in the Aegean region, particularly in İzmir and in other parts of Turkey such as Konya, Gaziantep and Istanbul.
The military boots, work and safety shoes production in Turkey have developed significantly in recent years.
These sectors make production according to international standards, and shoes with the CE mark are exported to the European countries.
Leather Shoes and Footwear of Turkey
Handmade to high-end design shoes of the best quality.
- Footwear: women, men, children shoes, work shoes, sport shoes, slippers, boots, long leg boots, safety and Orthopedic shoes.
- Classic, sports, and hand-made shoes
- Leather-goods: Ladies bags, briefcases, belts, purses, wallets, traveling bags. Side materials
- Shoe-care products, shoe polish, packaging
- Machinery: Shoe production equipment
- Raw Material: Leather, PU, and other components
Leather Shoes is a major platform for leading sector companies, producers, entrepreneurs, exporters, importers, designers to showcase their latest collections and new ideas.
Upcoming Digital Online Trade Fair
USEFUL LINKS
- Aegean Exporters’ Associations www.egebirlik.org.tr
- Denizli Exporters’ Association www.denib.gov.tr
- Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters’ Associations www.itkib.org.tr
- Mediterranean Exporter Associations www.akib.org.tr
- Southeast Anatolia Exporters’ Associations www.gaib.org.tr
- Uludağ Exporters’ Association www.uib.org.tr
- Footwear Industrialists Association of Turkey www.tasd.com.tr
- Leather Manufacturers´ Association of Turkey www.tdsd.org.tr
- Turkish Leather Council (TLC) www.turkishleather.com/
Images
Enjoy a selection of images from our tours of the trade shows in Turkey. If you have any questions or would like to contact the suppliers, please join our website and send your inquiries to the suppliers directly.
