Mexican footwear industry leader makes shoes for t - footwearbiz: Lead

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Mexican footwear industry leader makes shoes for the Pope

22/03/2012
The president of the Guanajuato footwear industry association (CICEG), Armando Martín Dueñas, has taken time out from his industry leadership role in campaigning for government action to protect the local footwear manufacturing sector from what it terms unfair competition from China to present a special pair of shoes.

Mr Martín Dueñas's own footwear brand, Ackerman, has made a pair of red leather loafers to present to Pope Benedict XVI to coincide with an official visit to León, a footwear manufacturing hub, on March 23-26.

Ackerman said it had made the shoes in accordance with the Pope's design and colour preferences in mind. Pope Benedict XVI was named in Esquire magazine’s list of best-dressed men in 2007 in a section covering accessories thanks to the red leather shoes he wears.

Ackerman used soft calf leather for the upper, and the shoes also have leather soles. Mr Martín Dueñas delivered the shoes to the offfices of the archdiocese of León on March 20 for them to be presented to the Pope, with other gifts, on his arrival. The CICEG president made it clear that they were a personal gift from him to the Holy Father, rather than an official gesture from CICEG.

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