AYMOD Shoe Fashion Fair Held
The 74th AYMOD International Shoe Fashion Fair, which is the largest event of its kind in Europe, was held at the İFM-Istanbul Fair Center between March 25-28.
Organized under the auspices of TASD-Turkish Shoe Manufacturers Association with the support of the Ministry of Trade, the fair featured over 200 companies, 25 of which were foreign, showcasing their 2026/2027 autumn/winter collections.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the fair, TASD President Berke İçten emphasized that the fair has been held twice a year for 37 years without interruption, stating, "In our 74th fair, we are together with visitors to showcase the autumn and winter collections in an area of 26,000 square meters with over 200 participants, 25 of whom are foreign. With the support of our Ministry of Trade, approximately 600 foreign purchasing professionals have been able to participate in the fair by having their hotel and flight expenses covered within the scope of the B2B purchasing delegation organization."
İçten mentioned the importance of the Ministry of Trade including AYMOD in the prestigious fair category and providing higher incentives, and described the negative consequences caused by the new turmoil that began with the US and Israel's attack on Iran before the end of the Russia-Ukraine war.
İçten stated that many labor-intensive sectors, such as footwear, were struggling during this period, and that they lost their cost advantage due to the negative events, which is why the footwear sector started to experience a foreign trade deficit in 2023. Noting that imports of shoes containing carcinogenic substances have started to decline following the restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Trade on e-export platforms, İçten stated that there is still no balance in exports and production.
Explaining that the shoe industry, which produces 550 million pairs annually, has now fallen below 400 million pairs, İçten said, "Especially in these times when difficulties in raw material supply and certain opportunism have emerged in the context of the war, we know that our Ministry of Trade will not allow this and we see that they are closely monitoring it. We foresee and expect that this year will be a year of balance, especially in terms of our shoe exports and production." Berke İçten emphasized that Türkiye, which is close to the market and in a strong producer position, has the potential and advantage to stand out, especially in the face of rising freight prices and the possibility of experiencing difficulties in supplying from the Far East.