- BFSHOW Highlights Brazil’s Fashionable Footprint Worldwide
- Abicalcados and ApexBrasil: Continuous support and strong efforts to highlight the Brazilian product
- Brazilian Footwear Rising: Style, Strength, Sustainability
Written by Fatiha Idrissi
The fourth Brazilian edition BFSHOW was a remarkable success, showcasing the latest trends and innovations in the footwear industry. The event brought together industry leaders’local designers, exhibitioners, creating a vibrant platform for networking, collaboration and endless possibilities in the footwear industry.
Rapid growth and strong economic
The fourth edition of BFSHOW was held from 19th to 21th of May 2025, concluded successfully, reinforcing its status as an important trade fair for the footwear and leather goods industry. Held over three days at São Paulo’s Distrito Anhembi Convention Center as Latin America’s premier shoe trade show, featuring over 353 brands as exhibitors, reaching over 32,000 m² the show drew more than 10,000 industry professionals, including approximately 1,200 international buyers from 62 countries—demonstrating Brazil’s evolving reach amid supply chain diversification. A promising future in the footwear industry and competing with exporting countries that were at the forefront, whether in terms of design quality, manufacturing materials environmentally friendly, sustainability and innovation.
Made in Brazil: more 160 countries around the world
The BFSHOW, was honored to host high-profile industry/economic representatives, exhibitors and buyers, local and international press, Mr. Haroldo Ferreira, Executive President of Abicalçados (Brazilian Footwear Industries Association) stated during the opening ceremony of this fourth cession: “It’s important to highlight that the strength of the Brazilian footwear sector is a direct result of the companies themselves, which-despite all the challenges, widely reported in the media every day— continue to create products with outstanding sustainability, quality, and design, supplying not only Brazil but also more than 160 countries around the world.”
Rapid growth of the BFSHOW
In the course of the speech, Mr. João Paulo Picolo, CEO of Nürnberg Messe Brazil, focus on the rapid growth of the BFSHOW, he said according to him: “We are among the three largest event organizers in the country, with a portfolio of more than 15 business trade shows across 28 different industries. And BFSHOW, now in its fourth edition, proudly stands as one of the greatest symbols of that growth. This edition brought remarkable results, including a record-breaking buyer project with 681 national and international buyers invited by the trade show and Abicalçados through Brazilian Footwear,the export promotion program carried out in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).”
Footwear: strong segment of the Brazilian economy
Despite the challenges the sector of footwear industry, like other economic sectors in the world, Mr. Gilberto Kassab, State Secretary for Government and Institutional Relations of Government of Sao Paulo at the event: “The footwear sector has faced countless challenges over the past decades and has continued to grow thanks to the strength of its companies. Of course, it still needs support, but it is a very strong segment of our economy and a driver of development across the country.”
Speaking at fourth edition of BFSHOW Exhibition, Mr. Ernani Polo, State Secretary of Economic Development of Government of Rio Grande do Sul highlighted that: “The footwear industry is strategic for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and it is essential that we work together—government and industry—to support its development.”
Diverse Participation: The exhibition featured a wide range of Brazilian exhibitors, ranging from established brands whose designs have achieved global recognition through the quality of their designs to emerging designers, highlighting the rich fabric of the Brazilian industrial landscape and the “Made in Brazil” slogan, which has become a prominent trademark worldwide and represents quality, sustainability, and luxury.
Networking Opportunities:The exhibition provided an excellent platform for networking between the over 10,000 visitors and 353 exhibitors, allowing designers, suppliers and buyers to connect and explore potential collaborations.
Positive Feedback: Exhibitors and attendees alike expressed high levels of satisfaction and optimism about the success of the BFSHOW thanks to efforts made by Abicalcados and ApexBrasil to promote the footwear industry globally.They also praised the organization of the event and the quality of the participants. exhibition, and praised the organization of the event and the quality of participants.
In brief: Brazilian shoe designs are distinguished by their aesthetic touch, stemming from the Latin culture and environment of this country, which is rich in natural and human resources
Brazilian Footwear Industry
According to the World Footwear 2025 Yearbook, Brazil. Brazil’s footwear industry is the fourth largest in the world, after China, Vietnam and India, while primarily serving its vast domestic market, Brazil maintains a stable export volume of around 929.5 million pairs annually,94.4 million were exported to 163 countries for a value of 976 million dollars.
For more details, visit: www.abicalcados,com,br
The Brazilian footwear sector in numbers:
- The footwear sector represents 2% of the Brazilian manufacturing industry’s GDP
162 countries bought shoes from Brazil - More than 5 thousand companies in the sector
- 4th largest footwear producer in the world, the largest outside Asia
- Employment :282.2 thousand direct people in 2024
conclusion
Overall, from a preview of the BFSHOW, it can be said that the Brazilian footwear is a dynamic sector with a strong domestic market and a growing global presence. This is due to the quality of its products designed with a distinct Brazilian touch, in addition to its commitment to sustainability with a strong focus on reducing its industry carbon footprint.
Finally, it should be noted that most Brazilian shoe designs have a unique touch, created by skilled craftsmen who have a unique aesthetic vision stemming from the Brazilian environment and culture.
About Abicalcados
The Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) www.abicalcados.com.br.is the organization that represents the country’s footwear industry, working in trade defense and in search of better competitive conditions for production in Brazil. Established in 1983, the organization, headquartered in the city of Novo Hamburgo (in the state of Rio Grande do Sul), has footwear companies of all sizes and from all Brazilian states among its members.
About ApexBrazil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) www.apexbrazil.com.br. works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investments to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy.
