When you spot people abroad making a style statement wearing footwear bearing the logos of Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Clarks, Cole Haan, Daniel Hechter, Bugatti, Prada, Zara, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, Hush Puppies, Ecco, Daniel Hechter, Johnston & Murphy, Hugo Boss, Piere Cardin or Florsheim, chances are the global brand has a Tamil Nadu connection.
Global brands have either got their footwear and other products made by leather and footwear units in Tamil Nadu or sourced the raw materials from here. The local companies, however, shy away from sharing the names of the brands they are associated with because of the non-disclosure agreements with the companies or for trade reasons in the competitive market.
Data provided by the Council of Leather Exports (CLE) show exports of leather footwear from the State has grown from ₹1,907.35 crore in 2007-08 to ₹6,874.56 crore during 2019-20. The number could be more as only the member-companies are taken into consideration while the data are collated. The CLE has 775 companies registered as members. There are more small and micro units catering to the domestic market, but they are not registered with the CLE.
