Wenzhou launches the first Shoe Culture Week on June 25. [Photo/chinanews.com]
Wenzhou, a city in East China's Zhejiang province, has launched the first Shoe Culture Week as part of its efforts to promote high-quality shoe production and become a "world shoe capital", local media reported.
The opening ceremony of the 2023 China Shoe Capital (Wenzhou) First Shoe Culture Week was held on June 25 in Wenzhou.
Addressing the ceremony, Li Yuzhong, vice-president of the China Light Industry Federation and chairman of the China Leather Association, said that Wenzhou is crucial to the development of China's footwear industry.
It is not only the first industrial cluster in the light industry honored by the China Light Industry Federation and the China Leather Association in 2001, but also a renowned 'China Shoe Capital' both domestically and internationally.
"The rise of Wenzhou's footwear industry demonstrates the legendary journey of shoemaking in China," Li said.
Wenzhou has a long history of shoemaking. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, the city's footwear industry has transformed from merely imitating others to independent innovation. It has evolved from simple processing to comprehensive product coverage and a complete industrial chain layout.
With the emergence of numerous well-known brands, Wenzhou's shoe-making sector has shifted from traditional manufacturing to a fashion-oriented industry. According to statistics, Wenzhou's footwear industry achieved 42.24 billion yuan ($5.82 billion) in total industrial output in 2022, a year-on-year growth of 7 percent. There are 82 shoe companies with annual sales revenue exceeding 100 million yuan in the city.
This year's Shoe Culture Week aims to support the development of Wenzhou into a world-class footwear industrial cluster and turn the "China Shoe Capital" into the "World Shoe Capital."
