Presadiretta The pebble in our shoe

Lights and shadows on the footwear industry. Italy is the leading shoe manufacturer in Europe: 4.100 companies, 72.000 employees, a turnover that before Covid in 2019 was 14,3 billion of euros. Not to mention the Italian tanning industry, which is also a leader in the sector, covering 65% of EU production and 23% of the worldwide one. The largest leather districts in Europe are located in Tuscany and Veneto. What is their impact on the environment and the health of the citizens who live in these areas? PresaDiretta went through the complex supply chain of shoes and the system of contracts and subcontracts on which it is based. A market that contracted during the pandemic, and within wihich mainly the small artisans and luxury manufacturers paid the price of this crisis. Finally Albania, where thousands of workers sew some of the most famous Italian shoes in the world, without rights and with starvation wages.