This paper suggests a specific methodology to geographically locate and delimit local production systems, with an application to the leather and shoe industry in the state of Sao Paulo. The methodology consists on the elaboration of locational Gini coefficients (GL) for four-digit industries at municipal or micro region level from data in RAIS/MTE and PIA/IBGE. These GL coefficients indicate the industrial branches which are spatially concentrated. For the latter, location quotients (QL) by microregions in the state are used in order to identify local production systems within these industries. The QL data - combined with data on the share of the microregion in question in total industry employment and number of industrial plants - unequivocally show that there are three main local production systems in the leather and shoe industry in the state of Sao Paulo: Franca, Birigui, and Jau. Based on a field research work, these three local systems are briefly characterized in regard to their location, territorial extension, production structure and integration, local institutions, and forms of interfirm cooperation.