Footwear Industry Articles

Obituary: Mike Gedye, MD, Michelle Footwear (04/03/1950-25/09/2019) It was my first day of school in South Africa. That was the 4th term of 1963 and a good-looking blonde guy walked up to me, extended his hand and said “Hi, I'm Mike Gedye”. We sat next to each other throughout our Grosvenor High School years, often swappi ...more

Lusaka, Zambia – Former England Rugby Union International and World Cup winner Jason Leonard has been knocked sideways by the quality of locally produced Kaleza football boots. The popular Z-12 boots made by Zambeef division Zamleather are already scoring hits with players across the country. Now they have caught the attention of th ...more

Hong Kong – Texon has launched 2 new products where environmental considerations are a key factor. Texon describes itself as "a market leader in the development of eco-friendly, structural materials for the global footwear industry". It manufactures insole, toe puff and heel counter materials. In July, it launched Texon Vu ...more

The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the side-lines of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) week 2019 to formalise their commitment to collaborate on all standards related matters, including standards development and recognising South Africa as an inspection services provider for the implementation of the Botswana Standards (import inspection) regulations. ...more

Sans Singh, MD, FQ Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd t/a FST Manufacturers. Manufacturer of webbing & tapes, zips, elastic shoelace & cord, trims and distributor of fabric, hook & loop tape, metal & plastic trims.Durban, KZN, SA - By comparison with last year, the number of orders have reduced, and quantities on the orders are signi ...more

Saeed Bux, MD, Elahi Footwear (Pty) Ltd. Moccasin and stitchdown footwear manufacturer.Durban, KZN, SA - Our turnover is significantly down. We're affected the same as everyone else by the fact that consumers have no money. Added to that is that industrial relations are difficult. We're keeping our prices as low as possible and our margin ...more

7-point plan to grow local manufacturing<br>A final version of the DTI-sponsored 'R-CTFL Value Chain Master Plan to 2030' is nearing completion, according to Dr Jaywant Irkhede, director: leather & footwear at the DTI. Drawn up by Dr Justin Barnes of B&M Analysts for the DTI, the objectives are to, "by 2030, grow R-CTFL ...more

Reports primarily about the US market by analytical company NPD.It’s been tough going for footwear (and for retail in general) in 2019. Adjusted for the extra week in January 2018, U.S. Footwear dollar sales are down -1% year-to-date through May, after growth of +8% year-to-date last year*. Business continues to shift away from majo ...more

Like many of you, I’ve been inspired by the Global Climate Strike movement led by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg. As awestruck as I am with her, I can’t help but think what was I doing at 16-years-old to help mankind?  At that age, the only time I really thought about the climate is if it was too humid and my hair would frizz ...more

Written by defenceWeb, Monday, 05 February 2018Combining training with hands-on patrol work saw two SA Army units score a notable success in the fight against contraband and counterfeit goods in the early hours of Friday last week.A company from 14 SA Infantry Battalion is currently deployed on the South Africa/Mozambique border as part o ...more