Pakistan's footwear exports posted a modest rise in the current fiscal year, masking stark divergences within product categories and volatile monthly trends.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, outbound shipments of footwear increased by 4.23% to $131.75m during July-February 2025-26, compared with $126.41m in the corresponding period a year earlier. The overall uptick, though moderate, reflects uneven performance across segments.

Leather footwear, which constitutes the bulk of exports, recorded a slight contraction of 1.50%, declining to $96.65m from $98.12m. Canvas footwear fared far worse, plunging by 50.15% to just under $1m, highlighting a steep fall in demand for this category.

By contrast, other footwear products emerged as the main driver of growth. Their exports surged by 29.72%, reaching $34.12m compared with $26.30m in the same period last year. This expansion helped offset declines in traditional segments.

Short-term data show a mixed trajectory. On a year-on-year basis, shipments rose by 8.89% in February 2026, amounting to $18.48m versus $16.97m a year earlier. Within this, leather and other footwear categories grew by 5.77% and 18.32% respectively, while canvas footwear exports dropped by 23.65%.

However, month-on-month figures suggest a cooling trend. Total footwear exports fell by 10.52% in February 2026 compared with January's $20.66m. Leather and other footwear segments declined by 9.73% and 13.64% respectively during the same period, even as canvas footwear rebounded sharply with a 217.35% increase.

The data point to a sector navigating shifting demand patterns, where gains in emerging categories are counterbalanced by declines in more established lines.