Pakistan's footwear exports recorded modest growth during the first ten months of fiscal year 2025-26, supported by a sharp rise in shipments of non-leather products, although declines in leather and canvas footwear continued to weigh on the sector's overall performance. According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), footwear exports generated US$152.909 million during July-April FY2025-26, compared with US$148.432 million in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, representing an increase of 3.02 percent.

The overall improvement masked contrasting trends across product categories. Leather footwear, Pakistan's largest footwear export segment, declined by 2.35 percent, with export earnings falling to US$112.552 million from US$115.261 million during the same period last year. Canvas footwear experienced a steeper contraction. Exports dropped 42.30 percent, decreasing from US$2.062 million in July-April FY2024-25 to US$1.190 million during the period under review.

In contrast, exports classified as other footwear provided the sector's principal source of growth. Shipments in this category increased 25.90 percent to US$39.168 million, compared with US$31.109 million a year earlier, offsetting declines in the traditional export segments. Monthly data presented a stronger picture. On a year-on-year basis, footwear exports rose 12.99 percent in April 2026, reaching US$10.336 million, compared with US$9.148 million in April 2025.

During April, exports of leather footwear increased 2.73 percent, while canvas footwear registered a sharp 422.60 percent rise from the same month of the previous year. Exports of other footwear also expanded significantly, recording an increase of 46.82 percent over the corresponding month last year. Compared with March 2026, however, export performance softened. Total footwear exports declined 4.48 percent on a month-on-month basis, falling from US$10.821 million in March to US$10.336 million in April, according to PBS figures.

The monthly slowdown reflected weaker shipments of leather and canvas footwear, which declined 13.87 percent and 20.68 percent, respectively. In contrast, exports of other footwear continued to strengthen, posting a 33.45 percent increase over the previous month. The latest PBS data suggest that Pakistan's footwear industry maintained positive export growth during the first ten months of FY2025-26, although performance varied considerably across product categories, with expanding shipments of other footwear compensating for softer demand in the leather and canvas segments.