SAPICA 95 to Convene Latin America's Footwear Industry in León

SAPICA 95 to Convene Latin America’s Footwear Industry in León

SAPICA will celebrate one hundred years of the organized footwear industry with an edition aiming to connect the region’s productive legacy with new market challenges. Under the concept SAPICA FUTURA 100+, Latin America’s premier footwear and leather goods fair will host its 95th edition from August 11th to 13th at Poliforum León.

The event will once again bring together manufacturers, buyers, designers, suppliers, sales agents, and industry specialists. Furthermore, its staging coincides with the centennial of the sector’s business organization and the 450th anniversary of León’s founding. Therefore, this edition will have a commemorative component, although its agenda will primarily focus on generating business, incorporating technology, exploring new trends, and the internationalization of Mexican companies.

SAPICA Aims to Match Previous Edition’s Participation in León

SAPICA 95 anticipates the presence of 380 exhibiting companies and approximately 2,200 unique buyers. Organizers also foresee a significant economic impact for León, particularly in sectors such as accommodation, transportation, gastronomy, business services, and retail.

The most recent edition of the fair welcomed over 28,000 visitors. It also hosted 380 exhibiting companies and more than 2,000 brands, along with buyers and attendees from 17 countries. Over the three days of activities, more than 14,000 business meetings were generated. This figure equates to an average of over 4,600 commercial meetings per day, highlighting the fair’s capacity to connect manufacturers with distributors and buyers.

Based on these results, SAPICA remains one of the sector’s leading commercial platforms. According to the Guanajuato State Footwear Industry Chamber (CICEG), during the edition’s announcement, the event concentrates 90% of the national offering in the leather and footwear industry.

Fashion Cluster Gathers Over 19,000 Companies in Guanajuato

The significance of SAPICA is also linked to the economic weight of Guanajuato’s Fashion Cluster. This ecosystem represents the entity’s third most important economic sector based on its contribution to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. Currently, the cluster comprises over 19,500 economic units. Of this total, more than 6,000 are dedicated to manufacturing footwear and leather goods. Collectively, activities related to fashion, supply, leather, footwear, and leather goods generate over 150,000 direct jobs.

In addition to its production capacity, the industry boasts an extensive commercial network. In Mexico, there are approximately 45,000 economic units dedicated to footwear distribution, many of which find SAPICA a valuable space to discover suppliers, refresh inventories, and establish business relationships.

One Hundred Years of Business Organization and Footwear Production

The SAPICA FUTURA 100+ edition will commemorate a century since the formation of the organized footwear industry in Guanajuato. During this period, León transitioned from primarily artisanal production workshops to developing one of the country’s most specialized manufacturing ecosystems. Currently, the production chain encompasses tanneries, sole manufacturers, component suppliers, machinery providers, chemical product suppliers, design firms, logistics companies, marketing departments, and retail outlets. Consequently, the sector is not solely dependent on final footwear manufacturing but on an integrated network of companies of varying sizes and specialties.

Juan Carlos Cashat Usabiaga, president of the Guanajuato State Footwear Industry Chamber and the National Footwear Industry Chamber, explained that this edition aims to recognize the individuals and companies that built the sector over the last century. Simultaneously, the fair seeks to project an industry connected with innovation, design, technology, and internationalization.

Juan Manuel Martínez Micher, vice president of SAPICA, highlighted that the FUTURA 100+ concept presents a long-term vision to confront changes in consumer habits, international competition, and technological acceleration.

Artificial Intelligence, Retail, and Luxury Arrive at SAPICA Learning

In addition to the commercial exhibition, the edition will strengthen SAPICA Learning, a specialized knowledge platform offering tools for business growth and adaptation. The agenda will cover topics such as artificial intelligence, retail strategies, brand building, creativity, consumer trends, and the luxury market. Participants include specialists and representatives from Grupo Cuadra, Gala Limón, Aldo Haro, Nicolás Tedesco, Natalia Ruiz, Elizabeth Salim, ÁLTICA, and LEVIANT. Furthermore, the Loyalty Program will continue to offer benefits to incentivize the attendance of national and international buyers.

Design and Fashion Expand León’s Business Agenda

The program will also feature the Fashion Film Showcase by BJX Moda, an audiovisual platform focused on presenting creative proposals and narratives related to fashion. This will be complemented by the launch of Soy Thea, a project led by Wendy Guevara.

Additionally, SAPICA 95 will present a fashion show in the Main Courtyard of the León Municipal Presidency. This activity will be part of the celebrations for the centenary of the organized footwear industry and the 450th anniversary of the city’s founding.

Another collaboration will be with the brand México Is The Shit and designer Anuar Layón, who are responsible for creating the edition’s official t-shirt. The garment will be inspired by the FUTURA 100+ concept and the construction of the industry’s future through creativity and talent.

SAPICA FUTURA 100+ will combine historical commemoration with a business agenda focused on the industry’s next century. With 380 exhibitors expected, 2,200 buyers, and an offering that represents a significant portion of national production, León will seek to reaffirm its position as the premier meeting point for footwear and leather goods businesses in Latin America.

The entry first appeared on Líder Empresarial.