Malaysia International Shoe Festival 2011

The Malaysia International Shoe Festival (MISF) is being organised once again this year by the Ministry of Tourism from 7 to 10 April at Hall 2, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). Co-organised by the Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers Association (MFMA), this year’s event will see more than 166 booths featuring over 50 famous local footwear labels including Zang Toi, Larrie, Princess, Carlo Rino, Nose, Bill Keith, Paula Moda, Fiorucci, Vern’s and Dr. Cardin. Themed “Walking in Unity – Sole of the Nation”, MISF 2011 is expected to attract over 80,000 local and foreign visitors. The festival is aimed at reinforcing Malaysia’s position and reputation as a leading producer and world-class exporter of quality and innovative footwear, and to use this as another tourism product to attract more visitors to Malaysia. It is also to promote footwear manufacturing and to further improve the quality of local shoe design and craftsmanship. Tourism Ambassador and world renowned shoe designer, Professor Dato’ (Dr.) Jimmy Choo has been invited once again to showcase his special collection in MISF at a designated gallery (Sogno Gallery). The collection is only available at his gallery in London. Another highlight of MISF 2011 is the 30th International Footwear Conference (IFC) that will be held on 8 April at the Tun Hussein Onn Hall in PWTC. The conference will see the convergence of the major industry players who will share their insights and information on the latest shoe innovations, trends and developments. The conference is expected to attract 150 local and international participants from China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, and Vietnam. Besides these programmes, visitors to this year’s MISF will get to witness the display of Malaysia’s biggest Baba-Nyonya chocolate shoe. Measuring 10 feet long, it will make its way into the Malaysia Book of Records as the biggest chocolate shoe ever created in the country. The festival will also once again present the “Shoe History Gallery” to provide an opportunity for visitors to understand the culture, history and artistic development of the shoes they wear. Other activities include a fashion show featuring Miss Malaysia/Universe 2011 Deborah Henry, Searching for the MISF Cinderella (to look for the person who can wear a specially designed 9-inch heels), and various competitions like Creative Shoe Painting, Best Window Dressing, Most Creative Young Designer, Mini Shoes Making, and many more. The Malaysia International Shoe Festival made its debut in April last year. It received overwhelming response, attracting over 45,000 visitors with sales reaching RM5 million during the 3-day event. For MISF 2011, there’ll be a TRADE Day for trade members on 7 April, from 10:30am to 6:30pm. The public can attend the festival from 8 to 10 April, from 10:30am to 8:30pm. Admission is free. -Tourism Malaysia.