S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol81 No3 March 2018
This Magazine is sponsored by SAFLIA
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Business Barometer: We have to try harder
- Haesloop Agencies: Still macro challenges, but strong at company level.
- Leather Basics: Price is still the major issue.
- Bella Bianca: Signs of an upturn.
- The Azula Collective: Energy, experience and optimism.
- Bass Marketing: Green shoots despite the gloom.
Second hand apparel
- Is the banning of importation of second-hand clothes and shoes a panacea to industrialisation in East Africa?.
In the news
- Police shoe scam in Kenya.
- Zimbabwe's Millennium Footwear records uptick in local demand.
Technology
- Shoepack: Making the most of your lasts.
Footwear and the environment
- Can footwear ever give waste the boot?
- 'World's most comfortable shoe' now made from SA invasive trees.
- Is algae the next big performance story in footwear?
Trade fairs and academic conferences
- UITIC: First speakers announced - Making shoes without stitching and lasting and The development of emerging business models.
- Malawi fair invitation.
- Hub facilitates East African sourcing for US companies.
Notice Board
- Obituary for Roger Benjamin.
International
- With store traffic down, H&M throws resources behind digital.
- How President Trump's trade wars with China and Europe could impact footwear firms.
- Crocs shoes design loses EU patent.
- Is China's manufacturing dominance dipping?
Advertisers in this Issue
Chillisource/Shoepack (7), Katz Footwear (5), PMC Group (4), Source Africa (OFC), 20th UITIC International Technical Footwear Congress (2).
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Footwear Industry Articles
- 2026 Comrades shoe count: Asics stays top, Adidas up, Nike slides into 4th place
Marathon shoe counts are among the few footwear statistics available in SA. The Sweat Shop’s Jax Snyman has extracted this year’s Comrades Marathon figures for comparison with last year.His assessment: “Asics up. Adidas properly up. New Balance steady although now 3rd largest. Nike down and drop in rankings to 4th. Sauco ...moreHistorical highlights: How Rockshoes became Trailmix Trading
Rockshoes was one of the many successful footwear factories in Pinetown in the 1960s through to the early 2000s. Its successor, Trailmix Trading, has repeated that success, as an importer and wholesaler. Here’s how it unfolded. ...moreA perspective: Perhaps it was an eye-opener for industry players to hear each otherLooking back over the workshop, BMA consultant Justin Snelling wrote: “In terms of our reflections of the workshop, we covered a lot of territory. Perhaps though what was most encouraging was the breadth of participation from different segments of the sector and their willingness, or even excitement, to contribute. We don’t ta ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- OBLIQUITY
Shareholder value is usually the result of running a good business, not a reliable operational principle for running one ...moreSADC Leather Forum unites 16 member states to strengthen the regional leather industry
The Southern African Development Community’s Regional Leather Forum met in Durban, South Africa, in August. Nerisha Jairaj and Jacob Nyathi explain different aspects. ...moreDavid Buirski retires (but we’re sure to hear more from him)
David Buirski, the former South African who edited World Leather from 1993 to 2005, and who continued his involvement with the publication and its offshoots until recently, has finally retired because “having turned 90 last December, I guess it was the sensible thing to do. Thirty-three years could be considered a long time.&rd ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Occupational noise-induced hearing loss ‘is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world’
Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world*. 16% of all disabling hearing loss in adults is due to noise exposure.It’s also expensive. According to one study, it costs US$242 million in annual compensation in the USA. In the UK, the typical cost per claim in the is £ ...moreGlobal stage for occupational safety innovations: exhibitor registration for A+A 2027 has begun
Düsseldorf, Germany – The next A+A fair will be held from 19 to 22 October 2027.Since 16 June 2026 exhibitors have been able to register for A+A 2027. Companies and organisations from around the world are invited to introduce their innovations and solutions for safety and health at work and sustainable prevention to an int ...moreFurther controls over the import of safety footwear are on the wayOn 03 August 2026, the Safety Footwear Working Group, led by SAFLIA, submitted a request to Minister Tau (dtic) for interim import control measures in respect of specified safety footwear. The request was strongly supported by organised labour and other industry stakeholders.The application was further strengthened by contributions f ...more
