The sector exported 123.6 million pairs of shoes worth $900.3 million in 2021, according to data from Abicalçados, the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries Association, representing a 32 percent increase in volume and 36.8 percent increase in value year-on-year.

Pre-pandemic, Brazil’s footwear industry ended 2019 with annual exports of 114.5 million pairs, generating revenue of $967 million.

Haroldo Ferreira, executive president of Abicalçados, said exports were the main factor aiding recovery in the broader footwear sector and pointed to a rise in sales to its primary market the United States. He believes recovery should continue throughout 2022, forecasting an uptick of around 5 percent above 2021 figures.

In 2021, the United States imported 15 million pairs from Brazil, worth about $228.6 million, representing 62.7 percent more in volume and 66 percent more in value than 2020. Argentina, the sector’s second-highest export destination, received 13.4 million pairs worth $115.2 million, representing an increase in volume of 73 percent and in value of 58.7 percent. France — which comes in third — imported 7.27 million pairs worth $60.2 million, registering growth of 3 and 1.7 percent in volume and value, respectively.

Brazilian imports of footwear also ended the year on an increase, with imports reaching a total of 22.7 million pairs worth $287 million, a rise of 7.5 percent in volume and a 4.3 percent drop in value compared to last year.

Learn more:

Brazilian Shoe Moguls Entice Global Market

Brazil’s billion-dollar footwear industry bucked the recession and keeps on rising despite continued economic and political turmoil.