Portuguese footwear industry is strutting into 2025 with confidence — and some pretty stylish soles. In the first quarter alone, the industry exported 20 million pairs of shoes, worth a total of €453 million. That’s a 4.9% jump in quantity and a 5.4% boost in value compared to the same period last year. Not bad for a country famous for cobblestone streets.

"This is a very promising start to the year, especially given the tricky international climate,” said Luís Onofre, President of APICCAPS (yes, that’s the footwear association, not a new sneaker brand). Europe is once again the main runway for Portuguese shoes: from January to March, 18 million pairs marched their way across the continent, worth €382 million — a 6.6% rise in volume and 8.3% in value. Clearly, Europe still has good taste in shoes.

Some countries put in standout performances — Germany led the pack with a stylish 18.8% rise, reaching €114 million. France followed with a modest but chic 1.3% increase (€96 million), and Spain danced ahead with a whopping 31% growth, hitting €46 million. Not everything was rosy, though — the Netherlands slipped a bit, down 5.6% to €49 million. Someone check if their clogs are still trending.

Beyond the EU, the UK seems to be walking tall post-Brexit, with a 9% increase (€27 million). Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, things got a little less fashionable. Exports to the U.S. and Canada dipped by 12.7% and 14%, respectively — now at €18 million and €4 million. Ouch.

The U.S. is raising eyebrows. "We’re living through a period of great uncertainty,” said Onofre, referring to President Donald Trump’s announcement of new tariffs. (Yes, he’s back, and so are the trade worries.) Still, Portugal sees the U.S. as a key market — strategic and central to the industry’s long-term plans. "It’s a worrying situation, but we’re not walking away,” Onofre insisted.

Let’s not forget: the U.S. is the world’s biggest footwear market, importing close to 2 billion pairs annually, worth around $26 billion (€24.9 billion). Portugal has doubled its exports to the U.S. in the past decade, now hitting the €100 million mark — making it the sixth-largest destination for our shoes. Worth hanging on to, tariffs or not.

All in all, the year started strong. Portuguese footwear is now exported to 170 countries across five continents — 90% of total production. Despite the economic wobbles, APICCAPS is hopeful that 2025 will be a year of consolidation. And let’s face it — when it comes to walking through challenges in style, no one does it quite like Portugal.