That dollar amount results from a 15.6% increase from leather footwear exported 5 years earlier in 2019 when international sales equaled $54.5 billion.
Year over year, sales of exported leather shoes grew by 3.4% compared to $60.9 billion starting from 2022.
The top 5 largest exporters of leather footwear by dollar value are Vietnam, Italy, mainland China, Germany and Belgium. Collectively, that cohort of leading suppliers generated almost three-fifths (57.6%) of international sales for leather footwear.
Among continents, suppliers in European countries sold the highest dollar value worth of exported leather shoes with shipments valued at $32.4 billion or over half (51.4%) of worldwide export sales for this commodity. Exporters in Asia were fairly close behind, exporting $28 billion worth or 44.4% of the global total.
Tinier percentages came from sellers in North America (2%), Latin America (1.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.8%) then Oceania (0.1%) mostly Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for leather footwear is 6403.
Leather Shoes Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of leather shoes during 2023.
- Vietnam: US$10.6 billion (16.7% of exported leather shoes)
- Italy: $8.9 billion (14.2%)
- mainland China: $8.5 billion (13.5%)
- Germany: $4.8 billion (7.6%)
- Belgium: $3.5 billion (5.6%)
- Indonesia: $3 billion (4.7%)
- France: $2.9 billion (4.7%)
- Netherlands: $2.5 billion (3.9%)
- India: $1.8 billion (2.9%)
- Portugal: $1.72 billion (2.7%)
- Spain: $1.67 billion (2.7%)
- Poland: $1.4 billion (2.2%)
- Hong Kong: $969 million (1.5%)
- Bangladesh: $772.1 million (1.2%)
- Mexico: $750 million (1.2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 85.4% of all leather shoes exported in 2023.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing leather shoes exporters from 2022 to 2023 were: Vietnam (up 41.6%), Poland (up 23.6%), Germany (up 20.5%) and Belgium (up 16.8%).
Those major suppliers that posted declines in their exported leather shoes sales were: Bangladesh (down -27.9% from 2022), mainland China (down -23.8%), India (down -16.2%), Indonesia (down -10%) and Portugal (down -5.1%).
Searchable List of Leather Shoes Exporting Countries in 2023
The 100 key exporters of leather shoes in the database below generated 99.97% of all leather shoes sold on international markets during 2023.
| Rank | Exporter | Leather Shoe Exports | 2022-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Vietnam | $10,551,187,000 | +41.6% |
| 2. | Italy | $8,925,533,000 | +5.9% |
| 3. | mainland China | $8,526,027,000 | -23.8% |
| 4. | Germany | $4,779,992,000 | +20.5% |
| 5. | Belgium | $3,520,570,000 | +16.8% |
| 6. | Indonesia | $2,976,060,000 | -10% |
| 7. | France | $2,944,641,000 | +15.3% |
| 8. | Netherlands | $2,460,763,000 | +5.3% |
| 9. | India | $1,836,129,000 | -16.2% |
| 10. | Portugal | $1,724,656,000 | -5.1% |
| 11. | Spain | $1,670,661,000 | +7.3% |
| 12. | Poland | $1,382,261,000 | +23.6% |
| 13. | Hong Kong | $968,953,000 | +12.2% |
| 14. | Bangladesh | $772,100,000 | -27.9% |
| 15. | Mexico | $749,970,000 | +0.7% |
| 16. | Türkiye | $574,803,000 | -4.1% |
| 17. | Austria | $523,122,000 | +3.7% |
| 18. | United States | $471,355,000 | +22.1% |
| 19. | Cambodia | $464,024,000 | -20.9% |
| 20. | Switzerland | $460,381,000 | +12.4% |
| 21. | Romania | $459,433,000 | +0.1% |
| 22. | Brazil | $422,187,000 | -16.9% |
| 23. | Slovakia | $419,649,000 | -2.9% |
| 24. | Hungary | $418,897,000 | +23.2% |
| 25. | Czech Republic | $415,457,000 | +13.3% |
| 26. | United Kingdom | $380,412,000 | -3.9% |
| 27. | Denmark | $356,395,000 | -9% |
| 28. | Singapore | $343,936,000 | +18.3% |
| 29. | Tunisia | $336,350,000 | +9.9% |
| 30. | Thailand | $279,540,000 | -9.5% |
| 31. | Sweden | $269,196,000 | -10.7% |
| 32. | Albania | $252,459,000 | +708.3% |
| 33. | Croatia | $230,177,000 | +14% |
| 34. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $138,152,000 | -10.5% |
| 35. | Panama | $137,581,000 | -22.6% |
| 36. | Laos | $130,412,000 | -7.7% |
| 37. | Morocco | $128,696,000 | -6.1% |
| 38. | Pakistan | $127,338,000 | -10.9% |
| 39. | Serbia | $121,007,000 | +2.9% |
| 40. | South Korea | $91,976,000 | +13.4% |
| 41. | Slovenia | $87,475,000 | +2.7% |
| 42. | Myanmar | $82,603,000 | -48.8% |
| 43. | Malaysia | $77,756,000 | +82.7% |
| 44. | Lithuania | $74,633,000 | +33.2% |
| 45. | Australia | $68,116,000 | +17.2% |
| 46. | Greece | $66,473,000 | +25.3% |
| 47. | Canada | $66,422,000 | +19.1% |
| 48. | Bulgaria | $57,842,000 | -6.6% |
| 49. | Dominican Republic | $56,434,000 | -16.3% |
| 50. | South Africa | $55,210,000 | -0.7% |
| 51. | Finland | $52,072,000 | +3% |
| 52. | Latvia | $37,062,000 | +35.3% |
| 53. | Norway | $34,062,000 | +34.7% |
| 54. | United Arab Emirates | $33,817,000 | -88.4% |
| 55. | Russia | $32,388,000 | -23.7% |
| 56. | Philippines | $28,369,000 | -15.5% |
| 57. | Macao | $25,923,000 | +123.4% |
| 58. | Estonia | $25,503,000 | +27.2% |
| 59. | El Salvador | $24,956,000 | +5.9% |
| 60. | Guatemala | $22,776,000 | -8% |
| 61. | Ireland | $22,415,000 | +2.3% |
| 62. | Taiwan | $22,345,000 | +5.8% |
| 63. | Colombia | $21,308,000 | +5.9% |
| 64. | Japan | $15,056,000 | +17.2% |
| 65. | Ukraine | $11,494,000 | -42.2% |
| 66. | Peru | $11,386,000 | +1.2% |
| 67. | Luxembourg | $11,275,000 | -0.3% |
| 68. | Sri Lanka | $11,226,000 | -5.3% |
| 69. | North Macedonia | $10,747,000 | -8.4% |
| 70. | Armenia | $9,964,000 | +97% |
| 71. | Israel | $9,043,000 | +58.6% |
| 72. | Moldova | $7,989,000 | -14.5% |
| 73. | Kazakhstan | $7,379,000 | +657.6% |
| 74. | Egypt | $7,112,000 | +375.7% |
| 75. | Qatar | $7,056,000 | +134% |
| 76. | Cyprus | $6,430,000 | +46.1% |
| 77. | Saudi Arabia | $5,170,000 | -42.4% |
| 78. | Bahrain | $3,760,000 | +23.1% |
| 79. | Kuwait | $3,151,000 | -38% |
| 80. | Uzbekistan | $3,127,000 | -53.2% |
| 81. | British Virgin Islands | $2,794,000 | +74.8% |
| 82. | Kyrgyzstan | $2,645,000 | -85.6% |
| 83. | Chile | $2,227,000 | +14% |
| 84. | Georgia | $2,203,000 | -58.7% |
| 85. | Paraguay | $2,133,000 | +39.6% |
| 86. | Lesotho | $1,817,000 | +4.9% |
| 87. | Argentina | $1,769,000 | -30.5% |
| 88. | Nicaragua | $1,732,000 | +26.1% |
| 89. | Andorra | $1,539,000 | +14% |
| 90. | Belarus | $1,444,000 | -62% |
| 91. | New Zealand | $1,243,000 | +98.2% |
| 92. | Bolivia | $1,218,000 | +40.8% |
| 93. | Palestine | $1,180,000 | +130% |
| 94. | Curaçao | $1,143,000 | +36.6% |
| 95. | Jordan | $959,000 | +83% |
| 96. | Lebanon | $856,000 | -85.2% |
| 97. | Uganda | $784,000 | -69% |
| 98. | Mauritius | $717,000 | +4381% |
| 99. | Mongolia | $712,000 | +309.2% |
| 100. | Ethiopia | $709,000 | -52.5% |
Focusing on the 100 leading exporters, the fastest growers were Mauritius (up 4,381% from 2022), Albania (up 708.3%), Kazakhstan (up 657.6%), Egypt (up 375.7%) then Mongolia (up 309.2%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the above table’s columns. The right-most column shows the percentage change in the value of exported leather shows from 2022 to 2023.
An entry of 0% in that column means that no 2022 data was available.
Countries Generating Best Trade Surpluses from Leather Footwear
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for leather shoes during 2023. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s leather shoes exports and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Vietnam: US$10.4 billion (net export surplus up 40% since 2022)
- mainland China: $5.6 billion (down -33.9%)
- Italy: $5.4 billion (up 4%)
- Indonesia: $2.8 billion (down -11.3%)
- India: $1.7 billion (down -18.2%)
- Portugal: $1.44 billion (down -8.2%)
- Belgium: $1.43 billion (up 188.9%)
- Bangladesh: $764.1 million (down -27.5%)
- Cambodia: $457.4 million (down -21.5%)
- Tunisia: $327.1 million (up 10.1%)
- Brazil: $290.4 million (down -30.2%)
- Mexico: $269.4 million (down -22.3%)
- Albania: $238.6 million (up 748.6%)
- Slovakia: $142.2 million (down -22.4%)
- Hungary: $134.1 million (up 145.4%)
Asian economic powerhouse Vietnam generated the highest surplus in the international trade of leather shoes. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Vietnam’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Incurring Largest Trade Deficits from Leather Footwear
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for leather shoes during 2023. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s purchases of imported leather shoes and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$11.1 billion (net export deficit down -24.5% since 2022)
- United Kingdom: -$1.9 billion (down -11.9%)
- Russia: -$1.56 billion (up 41.1%)
- South Korea: -$1.51 billion (down -2.4%)
- Japan: -$1.4 billion (up 7.6%)
- France: -$1.1 billion (down -20.3%)
- Canada: -$1 billion (down -15.3%)
- Australia: -$805.2 million (down -8.9%)
- Switzerland: -$702.2 million (up 3.5%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$547.2 million (down -16.5%)
- Germany: -$533 million (down -64%)
- Poland: -$460.8 million (up 4.4%)
- Austria: -$398.5 million (down -11.4%)
- Netherlands: -$393.4 million (down -35.3%)
- Chile: -$352.5 million (down -28.3%)
The United States of America posted the highest deficit in the international trade of leather shoes. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for leather shoes-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.
Leather Shoes Exporting Companies
Below is a list of leading shoe manufacturers from countries that are major players in the international trade of leather footwear. Shown within parenthesis is the country where the shoe manufacturer is headquartered.
- Belle International (China)
- Luigi Voltan Shoe Company (Italy)
- Erich Rohde GmbH (Germany)
- Camper (Spain)
- Brantano Footwear (Belgium)
- Foreva – Comércio de Calçado, S.A. (Portugal)
- Liberty Shoes Limited (India)
- Berluti (France)
- John Lobb Bootmaker (United Kingdom)
- Allen Edmonds (United States)
See also T-shirt Exports by Country, Cotton Exports by Country, Cotton Imports by Country and Top Exported Baby Clothing Sales
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on October 14, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 14, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on October 14, 2024
Wikipedia, Shoe companies by country. Accessed on October 14, 2024
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on October 14, 2024