Around $500 million worth of shoes are smuggled into the country every year, says the head of Handmade Shoemakers Union. This is while, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, annual shoe imports through legal channels stand at $17 million. Noting that the annual consumption of footwear in Iran stands at 240 million pairs, Rasoul Shajari added that economic recession in recent years has badly impacted the domestic shoemaking industry, resulting in low demand and piles of unsold products, IRNA reported.
