S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol79 No10 November 2016
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Industry Barometer
2016 was bad, and there’s little expectation 2017 will be better.
Opinion: Phillip Nutt
Retailers should dare to be different, says our columnist. Christmas is no longer the be all and end all of retailing.
Opinion: Anette Thompson
Podiatrists ask manufacturers to put back straps on sandals.
Company News
Kurgan Kenani Leathers and Barksole merge.
Notice Board
Obituaries: Des de Wet, agent; Neville Horwitz, agent; Franco Polia, freelance agent; Ronnie Jones, Apeco.
Culture, Art & History
The latest instalment from the Northampton Museum of Leather Craft.
Advertisers in this Issue
Afro Thai Imports/Aerosoft (OFC), Eco Rubber (7), Katz Footwear/Willow (2), Tuftex (4), Vandan Engineering (6).
- PRICE:TBAPRICE:TBAPRICE:TBA
Footwear Industry Articles
- Shlobo Designs: Foreign consumers appreciate handwork and the story behind the brandDurban, KZN, SA – I’m a native of Umlazi’s K section, but I’ve called Seaview home since 1994.My life has been a tapestry of experiences, woven with threads of resilience, creativity, and unwavering determination. My journey took an unexpected turn when I was retrenched while working for the bank with a wealth expe ...moreNike claims ‘mental benefits’ from new styles, observers take wait-and-see approachNike makes big technical claims for a category of non-sport footwear (their description: pre-game and post-game) launched in January.Certainly not the first footwear to incorporate underfoot pressure points, ‘Nike Mind Technology’ is 2 shoes – a mule and a sneaker (in different colour options) – which Nike says lit ...moreManufacturer-buyer event: Among the manufacturer commentsThe 2-day Retail Buyer Engagement & Manufacturer Onboarding Programme on 01 and 02 July was part of an effort to kickstart the R-CTFL Masterplan – which, from a footwear perspective at least, has appeared stalled.It was sponsored by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and implemented through the R-CTFL Masterplan Footwea ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Beyond the data trap: Why better decisions matter more than just more dataOn 1st July 2026 I presented at the FILK Leather Days conference and asked the delegates to consider “Sustainability through a new lens: resetting how we view impacts in the leather value chain”. This month’s article therefore explores this idea a little more with a focus on how we view data and whether it can blind us t ...moreLuxury or notWe hear from all sides that the leather industry is not doing too well and the conflict in the Middle East is definitely not improving the situation. The present wars have a huge impact on inflation and hence on the buying power of consumers with negative consequences for the luxury industry whose shares we have seen tumbling at the vario ...moreLEATHER’S ELEMENTARY UNITGeoff Attenburrow’s PhD student David M. Wright worked on the behaviour of leather under strain (Attenburrow, 1993; Wright, 1996). They were the first to describe that leather had a “co-operating unit”, a set of structures within leather that helped the leather to resist breaking and to resist deformation at low strain.T ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- SAPEMA demands action against retailer Curve Gear over selling noncompliant safety footwearThe Southern African Protective Equipment Marketing Association (SAPEMA) has reported retailer Curve Gear to the National Regulator for Compulsory Standards (NRCS) for selling “possibly noncompliant” safety footwear.The allegation is because Curve Gear’s safety footwear doesn’t carry mandatory marking: Its NRCS app ...morePremier Workwear: Engineered protection for Africa’s industrial workforceIn high-risk industrial environments, protective clothing is far more than a uniform requirement — it is a critical component of workplace safety, operational reliability and regulatory compliance. For procurement professionals, safety managers and operational leaders, selecting the right supplier means finding a partner capable of ...moreCONSIDERING A PPE MATRIXWhat Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) do we need to have on site to reduce and manage the workplace and environmental exposure risks to our employees?Safety and mining legislation place the responsibility on employers to ensure that they provide and maintain working environments that are safe and without risk to the health on employees ...more










