Shoes Produced in Konya Exported to European Countries

In Konya, which is one of the top three cities in Turkey’s shoe production, industrialists offer their products, which make a name for themselves with their design, to the domestic and foreign markets.

“Shoe production is now shaped by fashion, not the seasons.”

Kemal Özarpa, Founding Chairman of the Konya Shoe Industrialists’ Association, said that fashion determines the choice in shoe production.

There are more than 1300 firms in the shoemakers’ industrial site in the city. Konya, whose annual production capacity exceeds 30 million pairs, is trying to increase its effectiveness abroad as well. 15 thousand people are employed in the sector. Özarpa said that “the companies operating in Aykent Shoemakers Industrial Site have achieved great success in exports. Last year, we exported nearly 30 million dollars. The sector has been increasing its exports by doubling every year in the last 4 years. The number of exporting companies is increasing day by day. The vast majority of them send their products abroad through courier companies or foreign trade companies. Especially European countries such as England, Romania, Poland, Central Asian countries and Russia are among our leading markets.”