Despite skepticism, sales of Colombian footwear to Venezuela increase
The footwear trade between Colombia and Venezuela has historically experienced fluctuating periods, depending on the state of political and economic relations between the two countries.
In this dynamic, Colombia has traditionally been a footwear supplier due to its strong industry, while Venezuela has been a natural buyer, as Colombian products have been competitive in terms of price, quality, and fashion.
The various crises recorded over the years due to political and security reasons reached their peak in 2015 when Nicolás Maduro’s government closed the border with Colombia. This had a severe impact on bilateral trade, affecting Colombian shoemakers, mainly due to the lack of payment for shipped orders and the cancellation of purchase contracts.
The most affected manufacturers were those in regions near Venezuela, such as Cúcuta and Bucaramanga, who were forced to redirect their sales.
Since 2022, with Gustavo Petro’s arrival as President of Colombia, a gradual process of reopening the border and restoring trade relations began, resulting in a 157% increase footwear purchases by Venezuelans between 2022 and 2023.
Despite the progressive normalization of commercial activity, Colombian manufacturers still harbor deep skepticism due to the unpaid debts from previous years. They urge both governments to establish definitive regulations that ensure payments.
In this regard, authorities from both countries are seeking to provide a formal and secure framework to guarantee the fluidity and security of transactions.
For this reason, Venezuelan buyers had a significant presence at the IFLS+EICI fair in February 2025, arriving both independently and through invitations extended by ProColombia, the official export promotion agency.
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