The Footwear Industry Chamber of the State of Jalisco (CICEJ) has reported that Mexican shoe exports have dropped 38% in the last nine years and that exports bound for the USA have decreased by 50%. The president of CICEJ believes this is the result of unfair Chinese competition and said that many factories have been forced to close down.

Shoe sector leaders are trying to disseminate a new culture among manufacturers. Carlos Martínez pointed out that the way out of the crisis is to be creative and having unique designs. The second step would be the development of Mexican brands. He also said that the new culture is starting to root and that there has already been some improvement. As a result, second quarter exports to other countries in Latin America rose 73% compared with the same period in 2005.

According to figures released by the National Foreign Trade Bank (Bancomex), the Mexican shoe industry comprises 2,000 factories most which are small- and medium-sized businesses. 41% of the factories are located in the state of Guanajuato, 11.7% in Jalisco, 5.3% in the state of Mexico and 4.5% in the Federal District.