Stitchdowns: It may be time to be a bit wary of overtrading
Published: 26th Feb 2021
The versatility of the veldskoen...at home in the countryside and on the street.
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 heavily over-traded. If a product is well managed, the life cycle can be extended, but in this case I think that the long run is sprinting to a finale. I have been wrong before of course.
Do they offer export potential?
To a degree yes. The category is less well understood in most developed markets, but it remains to be seen what the extent will be.
The retail customers - chains or independents?
We supply a broad gamut of customers across the trade.
Is it time to offer style changes?
I imagine that when the veldskoen category is oversold that individual designs will not help much.
How easy is it to give a stitchdown a new look?
The development of new lasts, soles, materials and threads will differentiate product, but my feeling is that if the category is overdone, it will just postpone the inevitable. Veldskoen have always had a niche following, but not to the extent of the current level of popularity that it is enjoying at the moment. Combined with a crisis in our national identity and winning the RWC last year, it has become more fashionable. How long it lasts is anyone’s guess.
As James ‘Jimmy’ Goldsmith (Imran Khan’s former father-in-law) famously said: “If you see a bandwagon, it’s too late.”
Are there manufacturing aspects about stitchdowns which are a bit of a challenge?
All manufacturing in SA is a challenge. Veldskoen can be made to different levels of finish and quality – I guess like most things.
This article s part of a feature set of articles that were published in S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol87 No2 February 2021
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