BFShow signals Brazil’s ascent in the global footwear supply chain

When discussing major players in the global footwear market, Asia often takes centre stage. However, on the other side of the Atlantic, Brazil is steadily advancing to position itself as a strategic player in the global industry. Currently, it is the fourth-largest footwear producer in the world, behind only China, India and Vietnam.

From May 19 to 21, São Paulo—Brazil's most populous city and the nerve centre of its economy—hosted another edition of BFShow. Strategically chosen for its logistical connectivity both within and outside the country, the city of São Paulo has been key to the positioning of the trade show. In just four editions, BFShow has established itself as a key platform for the development and international promotion of Brazilian footwear, attracting local and international buyers interested in discovering not only products, but also a business model adapted to the new challenges of retail.

Unlike other emerging markets, Brazil has a virtually self-sufficient supply chain. The industrial clusters, mainly concentrated in the south of the country, bring together suppliers, machinery manufacturers and producers in the same geographical area. This allows for agile, efficient, personalised production with a lower environmental impact. This structure favours a more agile and personalised production with a lower environmental impact. It also facilitates short runs, which are increasingly in demand by brands that are committed to differentiation or are taking their first steps in the market.

Scale, design and internationalisation

The latest edition of BFShow, held in São Paulo, brought together 353 brands distributed among 231 exhibitors from the country's main manufacturing centres. The offering included womenswear, menswear and kidswear footwear, with proposals aimed at both the mass-price channel and the more premium segments, offering a representative sample of Brazilian production as a whole.

Organised with the institutional support of Abicalçados—the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries, a key organisation in the articulation and promotion of the sector both nationally and internationally—and co-organised by the German firm Nürnberg Messe, selected through a tender, BFShow is consolidating its position as a platform with global reach.

As João Paulo Picolo, chief executive officer of Nürnberg Messe Brasil, explained to FashionUnited, this strategic alliance not only adds operational capabilities, but also strengthens the international projection of the event by integrating a trade fair network with a strong presence in the European and Asian markets.

One of the most outstanding features of BFShow was the scale of the event and the carefully curated aesthetics of the stands. Unlike the functional minimalism that prevails at many international trade fairs, the exhibitors made an effort to offer an experience close to that of a flagship store, with spaces meticulously designed to express their brand identity.

The scale of the event is also reflected in figures. In this edition, BFShow doubled its total surface area compared to its launch, reaching 12,394 square metres of commercial area. This growth reflects a growing international interest with more than 10,000 visitors from 62 countries, including the US, Germany, France, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Argentina and Colombia.

The buyers programme, one of the strategic pillars of the event, recorded the registration of 681 participants, of which 506 were Brazilian and 175 international. This initiative seeks not only to consolidate the trade fair as a local meeting point, but also to reinforce its attractiveness for foreign trade at a particularly complex time for the sector's global dynamics.

Although the reality is that this particular event is currently focused on continuing to build loyalty in the local market, which is key to its growth, this edition has shown a clear desire to get closer to the US market. This is happening in a context of tariff uncertainty, in which they are confident that, given the long-term uncertainties regarding the conditions of imports from China to the US, Brazil could emerge as a strategic partner for North American trade.

During the pandemic, many US buyers had already turned to Brazilian footwear out of necessity, but the challenge now is to get those buyers to see Brazil as a long-term partner. “We don’t want to be an emergency solution, but a reliable partner with a vision for the future,” Leticia Sperb, manager of the Brazilian Footwear Program at Abicalçados, told FashionUnited.

Abicalçados plays a structural role in the Brazilian footwear production ecosystem. Its work goes beyond sectoral representation to address key dimensions such as market intelligence, professional training, institutional dialogue and commercial promotion. One of its most powerful tools in this direction is the Brazilian Footwear programme, developed in conjunction with ApexBrasil—the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency—through which the participation of Brazilian companies in international trade fairs such as MICAM or Expo Riva Schuh is subsidised, thus expanding the global presence of Brazilian footwear and strengthening its competitiveness in key markets.

Ignored potential of Brazilian footwear in the European market

The mismatch between Brazilian enthusiasm and European lukewarmness is striking. In Brazil, both manufacturers, designers and commercial agents express a clear admiration for European trade. They value its structure, its demand for quality and its aesthetic sensibility. This perception translates into an open attitude to adapting designs, assuming logistical commitments and even sharing financial risks in order to penetrate the European market.

However, on the other side of the Atlantic, South American brands—with specific exceptions—continue to face a perception of complexity, distance or unreliability. Lack of knowledge and logistical prejudices prevent European buyers from exploring options that could offer real differentiation in an increasingly homogeneous market.

The European footwear market remains heavily dependent on Asian imports—mainly from India and China—while continuing to have relevant regional players such as Portugal, Italy and Spain, with a solid tradition in the production of quality footwear. In this context, opting for markets on the other side of the Atlantic represents a riskier bet, which is only viable if it is accompanied by a high added value that justifies this decision.

In this scenario, Landed Services is positioned as a strategic ally to reduce this gap between Brazilian supply and European demand. During the latest edition of BFShow, we spoke with Edela Land, head of operations for the company in Brazil, and Diethard Rudolph, specialist in imports and distribution in Germany. Both stressed the company's role as a facilitator of the commercial landing of Brazilian brands in the European market, betting on its ability to bring differentiation and value to independent boutiques and specialist retailers on the continent that on their own could not risk developing these operations.

Their model responds to a structural need of the market. Concept stores and independent boutiques in Europe sometimes want to work with Brazilian brands, but face operational barriers that exceed their operational capacity. Landed Services aggregates orders from multiple retailers to reach viable volumes, and offers a comprehensive solution that includes transport (air or sea), customs clearance in Europe, storage, distribution and even after-sales claims management.

Carrano: A Brazilian brand in European premium retail

A concrete example of the potential of this collaboration is Carrano, a brand that Landed Services has managed to introduce into Breuninger, one of the leading premium chains in Germany. Today, Carrano is the only Brazilian firm in that segment within European retail.

“The client is looking for something that is no longer in the shops. Something different, fashionable, that lasts, that has comfort,” they explain from Carrano, summarising a value proposition focused on distinctive design, durability and comfort—three key attributes in an environment where the consumer demands more and more.

Carrano belongs to the Hendrich group, a company with 72 years of experience, 35 of which have been focused on building this brand aimed at a modern, elegant and functional woman. Today, it represents 35 percent of the group's business, while the rest is focused on manufacturing under a private label model for giants such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Tory Burch or distributors of the Dillard's group.

Grendene drives fashion towards mass consumption

Thanks to a highly integrated business model, a diversified brand portfolio and a clear strategy to address different segments of the market—both local and international—Grendene is positioned as one of the most influential companies in the country.

With a production that exceeds 120 million pairs per year and its own factories located in the Brazilian northeast, Grendene has developed a closed industrial operation, which ranges from the manufacture of PVC pellets to the design, moulding and injection of each final product.

Unlike other large manufacturers, Grendene does not operate under white labels or produce for third parties. Its strategy is focused on strengthening its own portfolio, which is made up of eight brands that respond to different consumer motivations.

Among them, Ipanema and Zaxy stand out for being aimed at the widest audiences—especially classes C, D and E—combining affordable prices with attractive designs and a consolidated presence in markets such as Latin America and Europe, especially in coastal areas. Cartago, meanwhile, responds to a male demand that favours comfort and sobriety. Rider focuses on a more urban and sporty language, linked to an active lifestyle. And Melissa, has managed to build an avant-garde identity, with experimental proposals, collaborations with global designers.

During a trade fair held in São Paulo, Leonardo Schnorr, division manager at Grendene, stressed that his main objective is to bring fashion to the first level of consumption. To achieve this, even its most complex models are designed to offer a competitive price without sacrificing the aesthetic proposal or manufacturing standards.

This is possible thanks to the combination of its own high-definition plastic injection technology—capable of replicating textile textures or metallic details—and a highly competitive pricing policy, which allows them to compete even with products manufactured in Asia, but with a proposal that provides greater quality, traceability and perceived value.

Industrial Strengths and National Strategy

Brazil is a powerhouse in production. Its strength also lies in its industrial strategy and vertical integration. In 2024, the country produced 929.5 million pairs of shoes, reaching a value of over 37 billion reais. Of these, a total of 94.4 million pairs were exported to 163 countries for a value of 976 million dollars.

This industry represents 3 percent of the gross domestic product of the Brazilian transformation industry and is a direct source of employment for approximately 290,000 people—more than 50 percent women—distributed in more than 5,000 factories throughout 600 municipalities.

Leather products account for 73.3 percent of these exports, a product that Leticia from Abicalçados explains comes from the country's also powerful meat industry. This is followed by synthetic products with 16 percent (are flip-flops included in this segment?) and textiles 7.7 percent according to data from SECEX (what is it?).

Although the real engine of growth was the domestic market, which absorbed 89.5 percent of national production. In 2024, domestic consumption grew by plus 8.4 percent, exceeding 2019 levels by almost seven percent. This boom raised per capita consumption to 4.1 pairs per inhabitant, a clear sign of recovery and internal economic dynamism.

Thanks to this approach, key export destinations include Argentina, which is currently the main one after recently overtaking the US and France. In Europe, countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy have more local competition, but there is still a demand for more differentiated or sustainably focused Brazilian products.

Innovation with roots in the Amazon

From the heart of the Amazon, the Respira Acre project emerges to connect Amazonian communities with current designers to develop unique pieces that combine ancestral techniques, native materials and modern criteria of traceability and design. This initiative not only promotes the local bioeconomy, but also introduces to the global market a deeply ethical and territorial aesthetic narrative.

Despite institutional advances and pioneering initiatives in environmental, social and governance matters, sustainability in Brazil continues to face a structural challenge: the lack of significant demand from the local consumer.

While in markets such as the European one, traceability and responsible practices have become decisive purchasing factors, in Brazil price remains the main criterion. Some brands have begun to use sustainable collections as a way to educate the consumer, although their economic impact remains limited.

However, sustainability is consolidating as a strategic bet to gain positioning in markets with advanced environmental standards.

2025 projections

Looking ahead to next year, the industry projects a positive evolution, with growth forecasts in both production and exports. Although the global environment continues to be marked by uncertainty, signs of recovery in key markets and the expectation of a more active second half of the year encourage optimism.

The sector's ability to adapt to new international regulatory requirements, such as the traceability and sustainability requirements that are emerging in Europe, reinforces its competitiveness. Organisations such as Abicalçados and programmes such as Brazilian Footwear will continue to play a key role in boosting the internationalisation of Brazilian footwear.

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