Stitchdowns: Bolton Footwear: So much potential still
Published: 26th Feb 2021
Bolton's Grasshopper...Handwork, clean finish, comfort.
How long will stitchdowns be a fashion item this time around?
It’s hard to predict but I believe stitchdowns current popularity will continue for many more seasons, especially locally due to price and the versatility of the traditional Veldschoen silhouette. Fashion fluctuates depending on the times so the Vellie demand will come and go as it has over the years. I believe the spike in sales is motivated by a number of factors; the simple form that suggests a utilitarian style, the heritage of a Veldschoen especially in RSA and the UK, price, good marketing, etc. - Tim Vermeulen, Grasshoppers design head.
It is a fashion trend that has been doing well not only locally but internationally hence I think it will still be around for a while. - Samantha Pillay, Grasshoppers sales manager.
I see two markets here – the fashion Vellie which is being worn and punted by the celebs who are doing co-labs with brands like Puma, Clarks etc. and then you get the guy who just wants a Vellie for comfort and practicality. The world has woken up to the practicality of the stitch-down construction. - Gordon Gassert , Bronx Design Head.
Do they offer export potential?
Major opportunities for stitchdown manufacturing, design and local raw materials. - Tim Vermeulen.
The retail customers - chains or independents?
Both. Chains picked up the trend and they like the price. - Samantha Pillay.
Is it time to offer style changes?
Bolton offers plenty different stitchdown styles. We need retailers to test a larger range of styles for us to grow stitchdown manufacturing. - Tim Vermeulen.
Yes, the market is looking for newness, but I think it is important to stay close to the original Vellie look . - Samantha Pillay.
No, I wouldn’t stray too far from the original look. A Vellie is a timeless shoe. - Gordon Gassert.
How easy is it to give a stitchdown a new look?
It's very easy to create a new style, but tough to get the consumer to buy anything other than a traditional Chukka or Chelsea stitchdown. - Tim Vermeulen.
Upper materials are key here. Maybe introduce a bit of variation on the soles to create an alternative profile. Introduce a new last shape. - Gordon Gassert .
Are there manufacturing aspects about stitchdowns which are a bit of a challenge?
Very few challenges. Stitchdowns follow a simple route through production. It is widely accepted that stitchdowns are simple shoes so the manufacturing process is usually guided by the style. - Tim Vermeulen.
Yes there could be, if you want guys who can make these shoes with their eyes closed. Experience counts for everything. Getting a shapely plain vamp on a Chelsea boot is always a challenge. - Gordon Gassert.
- Stitchdowns: Strassbergers: Anchored in its core market
How long will stitchdowns be a fashion item this time around?I expect stitchdowns (vellies) to stay in the agricultural market forever. You would, however, have to be very creative in 5 years’ time to still ride the current wave in the malls of SA and the overseas market. Vellies will always be part of “Die Boer” and his ...moreStitchdowns: It may be time to be a bit wary of overtrading
How long will stitchdowns be a fashion item this time around?Normally the product life cycle follows a pattern which, towards the tail end, attracts many rats and mice or so-called fly-by-nights. We have an increasing number of the afore-mentioned, which usually precipitates a fall off of business as the category becomes cheapened and hea ...moreStitchdowns: Veldskoen: It's all about making an age-old style trendy
How long will stitchdowns be a fashion item this time around?We would like to see this carry on of course for a long time to come, and we are always looking at new designs and concepts as well, but we also need to focus on growing our brand internationally, and you can’t just release new leathers and designs all the time, it takes t ...moreStitchdowns: The Veldskoen Phenomenon
The name is derived from the Afrikaans vel, later assimilated with veld, and skoene. They were first made by the Dutch settlers in the mid-17th century. The design is believed to be based on the traditional Khoisan footwear observed by these settlers. The footwear was later embedded into the South African cultural psyche, the rest is hist ...moreThis article s part of a feature set of articles that were published in S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol87 No2 February 2021
- Stitchdowns: It's been a great ride - can it continue?Stitchdowns have been riding a global wave for several years now. What makes that special for the southern African footwear industry is that a) it's an evergreen item for a core (and not insignificant) customer group and b), it's a construction that has been made locally since - well forever, really - meaning they have a realistic o ...more
Footwear Industry Articles
- Julz Shoes launches men’s range
Sneaker and moccasin style samples from the men’s range.Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA – Women’s leather comfort/lifestyle brand Julz Shoes has launched a men’s collection under the brand Will’s Shoes.Both ranges are “locally designed, made offshore”, GM Hayley Barker said.“Julz has built a loy ...moreThe Chinese sports brand taking on Nike and Adidas
Chinese sportswear brand Anta counts Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu among its brand ambassadorsChina's economy was just starting to open up in the late 1980s when a determined high school dropout made his way to Beijing with 600 pairs of shoes.Ding Shizhong had them made in a relative's factory and now he was going to sell them. The mo ...moreNational Leather and General Goods Strategy WorkshopOn 23 June, following months of fieldwork, B&M Analysts (BMA) hosted an online workshop to discuss the recovery of the handbags, belts, travel goods and allied manufacturing industries in SA.The industries, although very diverse, fall under the General Goods & Handbags Sector of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Indus ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Cooperation between SMEs, academia and government can find solutions
Dr Cecilia China, AfriTech Organic Leather Co. Ltd, the Nelson Mandela Institution of Science & Technology She said Africa has the hides and skins but lacks organised systems to convert them into competitive products.She described her interactions with the Kiwango Leather Cluster with the goal of producing high quality, eco-frien ...moreKenya announces $39 million investment to strengthen livestock productionKenya plans to launch a 5 billion-shilling ($38.6 million) investment program to modernize its livestock sector and strengthen one of the country's most important rural industries.President William Ruto announced the initiative on June 1 during a visit to Wajir County in northern Kenya.According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the program ...moreSARLEN – the journey so far
SARLEN was guided by a model policy framework for the leather value chain, adopted by all member states in 2023. It was supported by Deutsche Zusammenarbeit (German Cooperation), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), with the SADC Secretariat as the principal sponsor.The building blocks are ass ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Understanding local and international PPE standards: Clarity in a complex landscape
Appearances and claims to the contrary, South Africa’s PPE industry “is largely unregulated, and a high percentage of PPE on the market is not compliant with official standards”, uvex Safety SA MD Christo Nel said, “and that’s a problem at many levels, and for the entire value chain”.He said the fundame ...moreNew OHS regulations coming into force later this year mean PPE needs to be reviewed, too
In March 2025, the Physical Agents Regulations (and their guidelines) and the Noise Exposure Regulations (and their guidelines) of the OHSAct were published, with an 18-month time-period promulgation date to September 2026, allowing employers time to upgrade their Health & Safety requirements to comply with the new published regulatio ...moreWhat if the respirator you rely on to protect your health never sealed properly?
I had the opportunity to present at the first PPE Conference in RSA, where I shared some early work we) have been exploring towards developing respirator designs better suited to the South African population.Below is a short AI-generated summary of the core message of the presentation.Respirators are often the last line of defence against ...more
© S&V Publications
