Footwear - Leather - PPE Industry News & Articles

Milan, Italy (25 June 2024) – The Italian footwear industry experienced a sharp slowdown in the first quarter of 2024, recording a drop in both exports (-9.7% in value and -10.3% in pairs) and turnover (-10.1%). This scenario emerges from the latest report produced by Centro Studi Confindustria Moda for Assocalzaturifici, which also ...more

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – Wattle extract producer NTE Company, already under pressure because of global demand, says it is getting calls from customers of Brazilian extract producer Tanac S.A. following floods which have put its plant out of commission.“Tanac is a diversified business,” said NTE GM Nigel Payne, “ ...more

In the last week no less than three companies have spoken with SLF about the lack of industry cohesiveness when it comes to external representation. Complaints that our existing support organisations are not doing enough to ensure the industry’s opinions and concerns at inter-governmental level are regularly heard. ...more

In 2023, there were some major changes to the ISO 20200 method that will have an effect on future testing. The ISO 16929: 2021 method is the pilot-scale industrial composting process and this method was the preferred method for testing plastic disintegration. The reason it was preferred was that it emulated the industrial scale more accur ...more

IntroductionMost new tanners learn, either through courses that they attend, or from experienced tanners in the tannery where they are employed, that it is important to use normal salt (sodium chloride) in the pickling process prior to tanning in order to prevent acid swelling of the hides or skins. Almost all wet blue plants use salt in ...more

IntroductionThe leather processing industry is constantly evolving, thanks to the introduction of innovative technologies and advanced software solutions that are gradually taking it to ever more advanced automation horizons. One of the leading companies in this evolutionary process is Erretre, which for almost 50 years has been developin ...more

The Renewable Carbon Initiative has published a position paper outlining the importance of chemical and physical recycling and what is needed to realise its huge potential. ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development is calling on livestock farmers and livestock owners in all provinces to limit the movement of cloven-hoofed animals as far as possible. This is amid an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) on 5 farms in the Eastern Cape areas of Humansdorp ...more

" Unwanted! I would like to share that on more than one occasion I have submitted my candidacy to assume a responsibility on the Board of Leather Naturally and/or the Leather Working Group. I never heard back from either. So, the first thing that comes to your mind is ‘what do you expect?’. Of course! Logical! My continuo ...more

Horgen, Switzerland/Bühl, Germany (27 May 2024) – Hüni, which makes wooden and polypropylene drums and tannery automation systems, and Dose, which makes stainless steel drums and components, have concluded a strategic exclusive cooperation. Effective immediately, all Dose drums will be distributed worldwide solely through ...more

South Africa’s Chinese-owned shoe factories are a mixed bag. Some have been around a long time and face the same challenges as all other manufacturers, some are on the periphery and are marginally compliant with the bureaucracy governing the industry, others live in the shadows – unregistered businesses, unregistered workers, ...more

All the South African-owned factories who speciaiise in supplying volume orders to chains, and who agreed to comment, said volumes had dropped and that some of their chain customers openly said they had gone back to China.There have been casualties: In KZN, Nikkita Footwear Manufacturing, Prisaan Footwear, De Javw/Footech and Everstrong S ...more

‘Temu and Shein need to be dealt with quickly as they have to play on an equal footing’ ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – Angel Footwear cc is developing a stitchdown boot for distributor Gredale to supply Harley Davidson-franchised stores in the U.S.“We’re still in the development stages,” member Ashley Ramlakan said. “It’s a highly technical product, requiring waterproof materials and construction and h ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – Brandon Ganesh, formerly with the Nikkita Footwear, in February started a new factory with a very different business model.Aldora Footwear (Pty) Ltd targets the independent market with a small range of women’s, leather upper, stitchdown construction shoes and sandals.Current production is 200-250 pairs/day.&l ...more

The 8th annual ARSUTORIA 1-week Footwear & Leather Workshop in Durban and the ARSUTORIA 1-day Handbag & Accessories Workshop in Cape Town took place earlier this month.Below, Stefano Migliavacca, who runs International Projects at Edizione AF Srl, which also operates the ARSUTORIA school in Milan, says that to be successful export ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – The South African office of the International Labour Organization (ILO) picked up the tab for this year’s ARSUTORIA Footwear & Leather 1-week workshop in Durban and Handbag & Leather Goods 1-day workshop win Cape Town.Explaining the rationale behind the sponsorship, Nii Moi Thompson, chief techn ...more

Can Nigeria reshape the trajectory of Africa’s footwear industry? The Made in Nigeria Shoe Expo (MINSE) in Lagos may provide insights into this possibility. This biannual event, held in Lagos and Abuja, brings together local and international shoe manufacturers, designers, and dealers. Nigeria’s involvement in such events sugg ...more

Levi Strauss & Co., through its website, has announced its decision to deprioritize footwear in specific regions, likely prompted by its less than stellar financial performance. The company will strategically realign its focus and concentrate on its core competencies — denim apparel. Denim also yields higher margins for Lev ...more

Shoes for Crews, a renowned manufacturer of slip-resistant footwear, has recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s financial challenges stem from intense competition from online marketplaces like Temu, operated by a Chinese e-commerce company. Temu offers shoes they advertise as slip-resistant at prices as low as $17, ...more