China’s footwear exports fell by more than a tenth in value in the first five months of 2026, extending a slide that has weighed on the world’s largest shoe producer since last year, data from the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) showed.
Exporters shipped about 3.49 billion pairs between January and May, worth $15.7 billion. Volume dropped 5.7% and value fell 10.3% from a year earlier, implying a roughly 5% decline in average value per pair.
Leather footwear accounted for just 5.4% of export volume but 16% of value. Shipments of leather shoes totalled 190 million pairs and earned more than $2.5 billion, down 3% in volume and 10.1% in value.
The five-month figures follow the trend seen earlier in the year. Exports in January-April stood at 2.75 billion pairs worth $12.3 billion, down 5.1% in volume and 10.3% in value. For all of 2025, China exported just over 9 billion pairs valued at about $41.5 billion, with volume falling 2% and value dropping 11.3%.
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Imports offered little relief. China brought in 59.5 million pairs of footwear worth just over $2 billion, with volume down 19.8% and value down 3%. Of that, 16.2 million pairs were leather footwear valued at $860 million, down 17.5% in volume and 2.5% in value.
The weakness extends beyond shoes. CLIA statistics for January to July showed exports across the wider leather industry declined while imports increased, according to trade publication International Leather Maker.
China’s share of the global footwear market has gradually eroded as other Asian manufacturers gain ground, industry yearbook data show, even as it remains the dominant producer. Slower demand and trade pressures have weighed on the Chinese footwear sector since 2025, industry reports show. Leather shoes continue to command far higher unit values than the broader export basket.