It's a busy season at hometown of snow boots

In Gaoqiao town of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, workers at a shoemaking company were racing against time earlier this month to finish making snow boots for clients in the Southern Hemisphere.

"We received an order for 100,000 pairs of snow boots for Australia and Chile, which should be completed before the Spring Festival, so we are currently working at full capacity, producing more than 3,000 pairs per day," said Tao Guichuan, chairman of Zhenjiang Wonder Shoes Co Ltd.

The number of orders received has increased by 25 percent this year to reach about 1 million pairs compared with 2023, and the order book for 2025 is almost fully booked, said Tao.

Established in 1985, the company produces only for export, with an annual output value of 70 million yuan ($9.59 million). It sells to dealers in about 20 countries such as the United States, Japan and South Korea. The export price is about 100 yuan per pair.

Explaining its success in the global market, Tao said the company updates shoe styles frequently, uses premium materials such as cowhide and sheepskin, makes use of stable craftsmanship, and quickly makes adjustments to products according to feedback from dealers.

"Ever since I have been involved in this industry, the demand for snow boots has been growing," he said, adding that he believes the outlook for the industry is promising.

In the shoe workshop of Zhenjiang Aikexin Leather Industry Co Ltd in Gaoqiao town, leather cutting, stitching of shoe uppers, assembly of soles, quality inspection and packaging were being carried out.

The company's output value this year is approximately 50 million yuan, said chairman Leng Luowang. "In the past we had orders only from May to October, now we have orders throughout the year," Leng said.

Gaoqiao town was named "the hometown of Chinese snow boots" in 2016 by the China National Light Industry Council and China Leather Industry Association.

It now has 400 snow boots manufacturers and supporting enterprises such as fur and shoe soles suppliers, as well as logistics. The town produces 15 million pairs each year. The annual export value is about 1 billion yuan, data from the Zhenjiang Commerce Bureau showed.

In the 1960s, the town developed a fur industry, and in the 1980s, it began to produce leather shoes. However, as competition became fierce in the domestic market around year 2000, local leather shoe companies turned to making snow boots by combining the town's advantages in fur and leather.

At first, enterprises adopted the OEM, or original equipment manufacturer, model. Then the town built many of its own brands. Now it has a complete industry chain integrating raw material sales, finished product manufacturing, online sales, and logistics.

With about 7,500 people working in the snow boots industry, industrial output value has reached about 2 billion yuan, according to the commerce bureau.

Local companies have focused on product innovation and market expansion, said Chen Yun, director of the economic development and construction office of Gaoqiao town.

"They have increased investment in research and development of core materials as well as design. They transformed products to emphasize both functionality and fashion, released new products closely aligned with market demands, and actively explored emerging channels such as livestreaming e-commerce. This has diversified their sales channels and internationalized their brands," Chen said.

In a bid to help companies go global, the Zhenjiang Commerce Bureau and Zhenjiang Customs offer personalized cross-border e-commerce Customs clearance services. Companies can consult and receive realtime help through a WeChat group. The Customs authorities also send staff members to brief companies about intellectual property policies.