Brazil’s BFSHOW signals footwear export recovery with $46.7 million forecast

BFSHOW left São Paulo with a recovery story that matters far beyond the show floor. The sixth edition, held from 18 to 20 May 2026 at Distrito Anhembi, generated 1.5 million pairs sold on site, US$20.6 million in business and a forecast of more than US$46.7 million in footwear exports. For leathercrafters, the real question is what that kind of order flow does next, whether it tightens access to good leather for small makers or helps steadier tannery output bring more consistency to the supply chain.

Abicalçados said the event’s business total was 6.6% higher than the May 2025 edition, with pending deals still in the pipeline adding another 2.27 million pairs and R$131.2 million, or US$26.1 million, in potential export business. Those are not abstract trade-show figures. They are the kind of numbers that can ripple into hide buying, tannage planning and how much pressure lands on the best grades before they ever reach a workbench.

The show also looked like a genuine sourcing hub rather than a domestic buying floor. Coverage of the event put attendance at about 11,600 visitors and 1,150 importers, with roughly 350 Brazilian brands exhibiting. That scale matters because footwear export orders are what keep Brazilian factories, and by extension their leather suppliers, moving. When buyers from that many markets are walking the aisles, the signal to upstream producers is that volume may be returning, but so is the need for consistent quality and reliable lead times.

The backdrop was still uneven. Through April 2026, Brazilian footwear exports totaled 34.5 million pairs, down 11.7% from the same period in 2025, even as April shipments rose 9% year on year to 8.2 million pairs. Abicalçados said the recovery since April has been driven by the United States and Latin American markets. Its 2026 export scenarios ran from a 13% decline to a 4.4% increase, depending on U.S. tariff policy, and ANBA reported that Brazilian footwear has faced an additional 40% tariff in the U.S. on top of an existing 10% duty, bringing the total to 50%.

That tension explains why BFSHOW’s numbers landed so heavily. If the export rebound holds, tanneries may get more predictable runs and steadier production planning. If the surge in footwear orders concentrates the best leather in larger export programs, smaller workshops could feel the squeeze first. Either way, the next BFSHOW, set for 10 to 12 November 2026 at Distrito Anhembi, will be watched not just as a sales fair, but as a pressure test for the leather that sits underneath the shoes.