Distinguished Visitors,

If we start counting the ancient professions Turks are relatively excellent at performing, shoemaking would definitely be one of those professions. Shoes were among those crafts that we were most skillful at making during our journey from the steppes of Central Asia to the fertile soils of Anatolia.
While the Huns, the first Turks that walked through Europe, were riding their horses 2400 years ago, the boots, which they had manufactured in Central Asia, helped them to cope with severe natural conditions. The boost of shoemaking is inevitable in an atmosphere, where livestock and tannery is developing and where there is constant struggle on horses. Thus, we can describe shoemaking to be “the profession of our ancestors”. Thanks to this enormous ancient heritage, it is also a sector, which can highly compete and adapt to the conditions of modern age.
The most efficient method to achieve this goal is sectoral grouping, which we are aiming to realize with the Chamber’s Shoe and Shoe Sub-Industry Sectoral Cluster Project. We do our best to help the Turkish shoemaking sector to take its rightful place globally in terms of design, production and international competiveness.
I believe that with Istanbul Shoe Point Project, the revival of Turkish mastery and elegance in shoemaking is unavoidable and will spread all over the world. Furthermore, I am sure that Turkish shoemaking will also sprout with the use of the internet, social media and international marketing activities within this project.
Sincerely,