KUALA LUMPUR: Come April, Malaysia will be a showcase for everything related to shoes.

As part of Tourism Ministry’s plans to strengthen its standing as one of the top tourist destinations in the world, the inaugural Malaysian International Shoe Festival will kick off in April, showcasing the best of locally-made footwear, including traditional shoes and their history.

The masterplan for this idea, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, was to expand the RM1 billion local shoe industry and attract foreign tourists to spend in Malaysia, especially during the Formula 1 Grand Prix period.

“We not only want them to attend the F1 race, we also want them to spend money. Last year, the F1 weekend spending totalled RM64 million. We want to see more of that.”

She said the Malaysian GP Sale, which is the basis for the shoe festival, would be the first of three major sales this year to turn Malaysia into a shopping paradise. The 37-day GP Sale begins on March 6.
“In Asean, there is no shoe festival and Malaysia’s shoe industry is quite big although we are not aware of it. We want to develop this as an economy.

“We have Datuk Jimmy Choo, nobody else has Jimmy Choo.”

Dr Ng said the Malaysian-born, world-famous shoemaker would speak at a seminar on shoes and health, and showcase 10 of his best creations.

“We have many shoe manufacturers in the country. We have a lot of beaded shoes, which are so expensive overseas,” she said.

“My dream is for Malaysia to become a shoe buyer’s centre. People go to Milan to look for fashion.

“So, in Asean, if they want to buy shoes, they can wait for this festival. We should not only start the event but also sustain it.”

Co-organised by the Malaysian Footwear Association, some of the brands that will be showcased at the festival include Vincci, Bonia, Sembonia, Carlo Rino, Jukebox, Larrie, Nose, Asadi and Lewre.

Visitors can view and place orders for custom-made shoes during the show, which will be held at the Putra World Trade Centre for two days beginning April 2.