FELGUEIRAS:Weddings were postponed, cocktail parties cancelled and work events replaced by video calls. With social gatherings severely curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic, people have been buying far fewer shoes.
That has hit Portugal's footwear industry hard, because it specialises in high-end leather shoes - normally reserved for big occasions and formal work settings - and most are exported.
"There are no nightclubs, no couples going out ... all of this means cuts in certain products," said Joao Maia, general manager of Portugal's footwear association APICCAPS.
Some companies have switched to making more comfortable footwear for use around the house or in the supermarket. A few have added masks and other safety equipment to their production lines.
But the changes won't make up for all of the losses. Between January and August this year, exports from Portugal - Europe's third largest footwear producer after Italy and Spain - slumped around 17% from the same period in 2019.
Portugal exports more than 90% of its shoes and the sector has grown around 50% during the past decade, earning 1.7 billion euros last year after a 2017 peak of 1.9 billion euros.
Manufacturers are having to adapt to survive.
Paulo Martins, a partner at male shoe brand Ambitious, said that during the first lockdown his company started focusing on shoes for staying home or gardening.
"People who used to dress up and put on more formal shoes are now working from home and ... want a more comfortable product," Martins said at his factory in northern Portugal, where most of the country's nearly 1,500 shoe firms are located.
"Preferences are changing and that will have major repercussions on our business."
'SCARY' TIMES
Others, like ToWorkFor, made even more radical changes.
The company, which specialises in safety shoes for the construction industry and other sectors, transformed one of its production lines to make face masks and is developing other products.
"The pandemic opened our horizons," said Orlando Andrade, head of marketing at ToWorkFor.
"If something positive came out of this pandemic, it is that it made us look at reality in a different way, see potential where we didn't see it before because we were in our comfort zone."
Despite the innovation and flexibility, producers expect to see their order books shrink.
"The volume of orders that we have now will not be enough to withstand the entire production period," said Martins.
He also has to cope with an increase in staff sick days due to the pandemic, which could force the company to close one of its two shoe production lines.
Luxury shoe designer Luis Onofre, whose creations have been worn by celebrities including Naomi Watts and Paris Hilton, said many of his clients cancelled their orders when the pandemic hit.
"Maybe people got used to being at home a little more," Onofre told Reuters in his showroom, as workers assembled high heeled shoes in the factory below where the smell of leather and glue lingered in the air.
He described the pandemic as a "scary period" for the luxury shoe business.
Shoe brands like Onofre's mainly rely on fairs abroad to sell products to clients, but most have been cancelled. And, with less clientele than usual, 70% of factories opted to stop production between March and May, according to APICCAPS.
"It will be extremely difficult for the fashion industry because during the summer shopkeepers practically didn't sell," Onofre said. "They are overstocked. If this goes on and they accumulate more it could be the end of many companies."
Reuters
Wed Nov 11 2020
![Portugal's shoemakers switch from fancy to comfy to survive pandemic Portugal's shoemakers switch from fancy to comfy to survive pandemic](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2020-11/71605091206_PORTUGAL.jpg)
A worker inserts insoles inside shoes at shoe factory Ambitious amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Guimaraes, Portugal. REUTERSpic
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Pelepasan ketujuh air sisa nuklear Fukushima ke laut selesai
Jepun telah menyelesaikan pusingan ketujuh pelepasan air sisa radioaktif yang dirawat dari loji kuasa nuklear Fukushima Daiichi ke Lautan Pasifik pada Selasa.
Empat termasuk kapten maut dalam pertempuran
Empat anggota tentera India termasuk kapten meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan selepas pertempuuran pada malam isnin di Hutan Desa.
Pakistan sahkan 4 warganya terbunuh di Oman
Pakistan berkata pada Selasa empat warganya terbunuh dalam insiden tembakan pada malam Isnin berhampiran ibu negara Oman, Muscat.
Lima terbunuh, puluhan cedera dalam protes antikuota di Bangladesh
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang terbunuh dan puluhan lagi cedera dalam pertempuran antara pelajar yang memprotes sistem kuota dalam pekerjaan sektor awam dan polis di pelbagai bahagian Bangladesh pada Selasa.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air, sekali gus mengurangkan kebergantungan pada perbelanjaan kerajaan dan mengukuhkan daya tahan.
Saya tak fitnah Guan Eng, cuma jelaskan siasatan SPRM - Muhyiddin
Presiden Bersatu Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini bahawa beliau tidak memfitnah Lim Guan Eng berhubung isu pengecualian cukai terhadap Yayasan Albukhary
KPT alu-alukan dapatan, cadangan PAC - Zambry
Ini termasuklah cadangan pelaksanaan Garis Panduan Pelaburan dan Pembiayaan oleh Universiti Awam 2024 kepada anak-anak syarikat di bawah seliaan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT).
![Ronaldo beri bayangan terus beraksi untuk Portugal Ronaldo beri bayangan terus beraksi untuk Portugal](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81720500440_CristianoRonaldo.jpg)
Ronaldo beri bayangan terus beraksi untuk Portugal
CRISTIANO Ronaldo memberi bayangan dia akan terus bermain untuk Portugal selepas pasukan itu tersingkir dari kejohanan Euro 2024.
![EURO 2024: Perancis pertahan tindakan Kylian Mbappe tidak habiskan permainan EURO 2024: Perancis pertahan tindakan Kylian Mbappe tidak habiskan permainan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71720240313_KylianMbappe.jpg)
EURO 2024: Perancis pertahan tindakan Kylian Mbappe tidak habiskan permainan
Deschamps berkata adalah menjadi satu tindakan yang sia-sia untuk membiarkan Kylian Mbappe yang tampak keletihan untuk 15 minit terakhir masa tambahan.
![EURO 2024: Tiada langsung keraian 'Siuuu' daripada Ronaldo EURO 2024: Tiada langsung keraian 'Siuuu' daripada Ronaldo](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61720219467_tbEuro.jpg)
EURO 2024: Tiada langsung keraian 'Siuuu' daripada Ronaldo
Desas-desus mengatakan bahawa ini adalah penampilan terakhirnya mewakili skuad kebangsaan dalam EURO berkemungkinan menjadi kenyataan.
![EURO 2024: Perjuangan Cristiano Ronaldo berakhir, Perancis hantar Portugal awal ke lapangan terbang EURO 2024: Perjuangan Cristiano Ronaldo berakhir, Perancis hantar Portugal awal ke lapangan terbang](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81720219227_tbEuro.jpg)
EURO 2024: Perjuangan Cristiano Ronaldo berakhir, Perancis hantar Portugal awal ke lapangan terbang
Skuad kendalian Didier Deschamps akan meneruskan kemaraan berjumpa juara Euro 2012, Sepanyol dalam perebutan separuh akhir, minggu depan.
![EURO 2024: 'Tak adil kritik persembahan Perancis' EURO 2024: 'Tak adil kritik persembahan Perancis'](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61720064951_Euro.jpg)
EURO 2024: 'Tak adil kritik persembahan Perancis'
Guy Stephan berkata, tidak adil untuk mengkritik prestasi pasukan di Euro 2024 kerana mereka tidak pernah berjanji untuk memenangi kejohanan itu.
![EURO 2024: Pepe yakin Cristiano Ronaldo kembali temui sentuhan berbisa EURO 2024: Pepe yakin Cristiano Ronaldo kembali temui sentuhan berbisa](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/81719634285_EURO.jpg)
EURO 2024: Pepe yakin Cristiano Ronaldo kembali temui sentuhan berbisa
Prestasi Cristiano Ronaldo akan kembali ke asal tidak lama lagi selepas kempen mengecewakannya bersama Portugal dalam EURO 2024 setakat ini.
![EURO 2024: Georgia tenggelamkan aksi bersejarah Cristiano Ronaldo untuk mara ke pusingan 16 EURO 2024: Georgia tenggelamkan aksi bersejarah Cristiano Ronaldo untuk mara ke pusingan 16](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/51719460668_GeorgiaCristiano.jpg)
EURO 2024: Georgia tenggelamkan aksi bersejarah Cristiano Ronaldo untuk mara ke pusingan 16
Georgia mara ke pusingan 16 Euro 2024 selepas mengejutkan Portugal 2-0 dalam aksi terakhir Kumpulan F awal pagi tadi.
![EURO 2024: Martinez sedia turunkan Ronaldo untuk cipta satu lagi sejarah EURO 2024: Martinez sedia turunkan Ronaldo untuk cipta satu lagi sejarah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/81719373448_RobertoMartinez.jpg)
EURO 2024: Martinez sedia turunkan Ronaldo untuk cipta satu lagi sejarah
Roberto Martinez mengesahkan bahawa Cristiano Ronaldo akan membarisi kesebelasan utama Portugal menjelang perlawanan Euro 2024 menentang Georgia.
![Pemain bola sepak profesional 57 tahun kembali ke Suzuka selepas beraksi di Portugal Pemain bola sepak profesional 57 tahun kembali ke Suzuka selepas beraksi di Portugal](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/61719307339_KazuyoshiMiura.jpg)
Pemain bola sepak profesional 57 tahun kembali ke Suzuka selepas beraksi di Portugal
Ikon bola sepak Jepun, Kazuyoshi Miura telah menyertai semula Atletico Suzuka untuk pinjaman kedua daripada kelab J2, Yokohama FC, umum kelab divisyen keempat itu pada Selasa.
![EURO 2024: Portugal tidak ragui kecergasan Cristiano Ronaldo EURO 2024: Portugal tidak ragui kecergasan Cristiano Ronaldo](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/61718142891_CristianoRonaldo.jpg)
EURO 2024: Portugal tidak ragui kecergasan Cristiano Ronaldo
Roberto Martinez tidak meragui keupayaan Cristiano Ronaldo untuk beraksi sepanjang 90 minit dalam kempen EURO 2024.