For many years, Türkiye’s footwear manufacturers neglected exporting their goods as it was easier to make profits in the country’s local market. Now manufacturers are trying to find a better market balance and have turned to branded footwear to generate new sales and more exports.

However, they are learning quickly that branding is a step-by-step process, not a turn-key sales solution as footwear brands need to be built up to become synonymous with consumer confidence and quality. The majority of firms have not viewed footwear brands from the consumer angle. Getting Turkish brands to sell in Europe or other foreign markets needs more than a catchy name. Most makers have, in fact, branded their shoes only for the domestic market and names like ‘Bale’ (Bally), ‘Guci’ (Gucci) and ‘Polo’ (a bag firm wary of Euro snoopers) may not perform well on a global basis. Likewise Italian copies like ‘Luciano Partelli’ or ‘Delfino de Magli’ may not either. Names like ‘Jump’ and ‘Walk’ are great brand names, however ‘Twin Pistons’ or ‘Polaris’ - a high quality sports shoe brand on the local market are a cold war-era nuclear missile to the rest of the world.

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