Footwear Production:
China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia lead global footwear production. These four Asian countries made over 75 percent of the world’s shoes in 2021. Dongguan, China has around 1,500 footwear factories and makes 65% of popular, high-end shoes globally.
Nike manufactures most of its shoes outside the U.S., with 36% made in both China and Vietnam. Indonesia accounts for 22% of Nike’s production, while 6% comes from Thailand. Today, Asian factories in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, and Thailand produce shoes for various brands like Nike.
While regular and designer shoes undergo similar manufacturing, quality and labor issues persist. As consumers, we can make ethical, sustainable choices when buying shoes made worldwide – from Italy to China and Vietnam to Brazil.
Manufacturing Locations for Shoes:
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Thailand:
- Annual production of 245 million shoe pairs
- Includes sporting shoes, student shoes, sandals, and fashion shoes
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Pakistan:
- Output of 295 million shoe pairs a year
- Internationally relevant due to events like the Pakistan International Footwear Show
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Dongguan, China:
- Largest footwear production area globally
- Hosts over 1,500 footwear factories and 3,500 related companies and traders