Spanish footwear industry lost over 1,100 companies since 2020: AEC calls for urgent action plan

Elche (Alicante) - Five weeks after Fice and the Spanish Association of Component Companies for Footwear and Leather Goods (AEC) met with the minister of industry and tourism, Jordi Hereu, to present a sectoral competitiveness plan, the AEC is raising the alarm. It highlights the critical situation facing the sector, which is experiencing a sustained decline in its business fabric, employment, and industrial production. The association is demanding an immediate and coordinated sectoral action plan from public authorities.

According to the latest data from the Central Business Directory (Dirce), the number of footwear manufacturers in Spain decreased by 35 percent between 2020 and 2025, falling from 3,280 to 2,131 companies. In 2025 alone, 195 companies closed. The decline has been particularly severe in regions with the highest industrial concentration: the Valencian Community lost 37 percent of its companies, Castilla-La Mancha, 39.7 percent, Murcia, 22.5 percent and La Rioja, 17.4 percent. These four regions account for 87.4 percent of the Spanish national footwear business fabric.

The Industrial Production Index for footwear recorded a year-over-year decline of 9.2 percent in 2025 and stood at -29.1 percent in April 2026. In parallel, employment in the footwear and leather sector fell by 10 percent year-over-year in December 2025. By May 2026, it had accumulated a loss of 1,704 jobs compared to the same month the previous year, representing a decrease of 4.5 percent.

Trade deficit and Asian pressure

The sector's trade balance closed 2025 with a deficit of 1.86 billion euros in value. Exports reached 167.7 million pairs, valued at 3.39 billion euros, while imports totalled 370.8 million pairs, valued at 5.25 billion euros. 83.5 percent of imported footwear came from Asia, with China as the main supplier, accounting for 198 million pairs. Compared to the 71 million pairs manufactured in Spain—0.3 percent of world production—China accounts for 53.4 percent of global production, with 13 billion pairs annually.

The hourly labour cost in the Spanish sector is 15.38 euros, lower than Italy (26.38 euros) and Germany (20.83 euros), but significantly higher than Portugal (9.94 euros), Greece (9.33 euros), and Eastern European countries, where it ranges between five and eight euros. This gap, compounded by the rigidity of seasonal hiring, limits companies' ability to adapt their production to demand.

The footwear components sector, which comprises nearly 1,000 companies and over 19,000 direct and indirect jobs, is directly affected by the deterioration of the value chain. In 2025, it exported components worth 1.70 billion euros and imported components worth 1.76 billion euros. AEC notes that the contraction in consumption, the increase in imports, and weak export performance are compromising industrial activity in clusters where footwear holds significant strategic importance.

”We are not talking about isolated companies; we are talking about a complete value chain. Companies can no longer endure. We need an immediate, coordinated institutional response with an industrial vision”, stated Álvaro Sánchez, general director of AEC.

AEC is calling for a coordinated plan between the state, autonomous communities, and local entities that combines emergency measures with structural reforms. Priorities include making seasonal hiring more flexible; providing financial support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises; implementing reindustrialisation programmes focused on productivity and export capacity; and reviewing trade instruments to address Asian imports with stricter tariff controls.

The association is also demanding greater institutional support for international promotion and for the sector's international trade fairs held in Spain, as well as a reduction in administrative and tax burdens on industrial activity.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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