Sports shoes is a type of footwear specifically designed for sports and exercise, combining comfort, functionality, and durability. They are typically lightweight, breathable, well-cushioned, and supportive, making them suitable for both everyday life and athletic activities. Additionally, they have a stylish and casual appeal, making them a high-demand product in the market. Sports shoes comes in a wide variety of categories, which can be divided by function into casual sports shoes and professional sports shoes, such as running shoes, basketball shoes, etc. By the material of outer soles and uppers, they can mainly be classified into rubber/plastic, leather, and fabric.
Casual sports shoes often emphasize lightweight comfort, design, and fashion, with a large consumer base and fast product turnover, leading to steady growth in market demand. Professional sports shoes tend to be more expensive, with a focus on quality and higher added value.
The world's major sports shoes production bases include China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. In recent years, Vietnam has rapidly emerged as a key production base for sports shoes. Due to lower production costs, especially labor costs, and continuously improving manufacturing technology, Vietnam has become one of the world's shoe manufacturing centers over the past twenty years, exporting footwear products to approximately 150 countries worldwide. International brands like Nike and Adidas, as well as large-scale OEM factories such as Pou Chen, have all established production bases in Vietnam. The production and export volume of sports shoes in Vietnam continue to rise.
In 2023, Vietnam's footwear export value reached USD 20.37 billion. Currently, Vietnam is the world's second-largest footwear exporter, second only to China, and the export value of Vietnam's footwear is expected to continue growing.
The Vietnamese government has set a target for leather and footwear products to reach an export value of USD 27-28 billion by 2025 and USD 38-39 billion by 2030. Sports shoes is a major category of footwear products, and its export has become a significant pillar of Vietnam's exports. The Vietnamese government is also actively promoting the development of the footwear manufacturing industry, enhancing the competitiveness and export capacity of Vietnam's sports shoes industry through policy support and investment incentives.
According to CRI data, in 2023, export value of Vietnam's sports shoes reached USD 5.5 billion. From January to May 2024, the cumulative export value of Vietnam's sports shoes has already exceeded USD 2.5 billion, demonstrating a continued growth trend in market demand. In the composition of Vietnam's sports shoes export products, the export value of fabric sports shoes is significantly higher than others, followed by rubber/plastic and leather footwear.
CRI analyzes that from 2021 to 2024, the main export destinations for Vietnam's sports shoes are the United States, South Korea, and others. Major companies importing fabric sports shoes from Vietnam include large footwear manufacturers such as Chang Shin Inc. and TKG Taekwang Co., Ltd. For leather and rubber/plastic sports shoes, companies such as Skechers and Sports Gear Co. Ltd., which specialize in sports products, are the key importers. According to CRI, Vietnam's sports shoes exporters are mainly OEM factories for internationally renowned brands, as well as some local Vietnamese enterprises, including Pouyuen Vietnam, Tae Kwang Vina Ind JS Co., Hwa Seung Vina Co., Ltd., and others.
Overall, Vietnam's footwear industry is gradually developing towards high-end and high-value-added directions. CRI predicts that with the steady increase in international market demand for sports shoes, there are great opportunities and development potential for Vietnam's sports shoes exports. In the coming years, the export of Vietnam's sports shoes is expected to continue its growth trend.
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