Russian Footwear Production Declines by 12.4%

08:36; 11 August 2026 year

### Russian Footwear Production Declines by 12.4% in First Half of 2026 Russian footwear manufacturers produced 97.6 million pairs of shoes in the first half of 2026, marking a 12.4% year-on-year decline, according to data from the Central Data Processing Center (CDPC), the operator of the national marking system "Chisty Znak" (Honest Sign), as reported by *Kommersant*. The most significant drop was recorded in the production of shoes: 4 million pairs (-36.5% year-on-year). Boots accounted for 10.1 million pairs (-13.6%), while slippers reached 46.5 million pairs (-9.9%). Average shoe prices grew moderately since the beginning of the year, rising by 4.1% year-on-year to 3,050 rubles. Specifically, the average cost of Russian-made shoes was 2,750 rubles (+2.7%), slippers cost 710 rubles (+2.9%). In contrast, ankle boots became cheaper by 28.8% year-on-year, reaching 3,200 rubles per pair. Experts attribute the decline in domestic footwear production to an increase in imports. In the first half of 2026, Russia imported 200.9 million pairs of shoes, a 3.5% increase compared to the same period last year. Boots made up the largest share of imports (31% of total shoe imports), with 62.4 million pairs. Shoes followed in second place with 39.4 million pairs (15.6% of total imports). Russian manufacturers are currently unable to fully meet domestic demand in terms of volume, variety, and price segments. Footwear production remains expensive due to high costs of materials, components, logistics, and financing. Under these conditions, brands find it more profitable to place orders at foreign factories (often in Asian countries) rather than expand their own production.

Investment

Events

Niches and markets

Technologies and trends

Development infrastructure