IN THIS ISSUE:
Business Barometer: More hope, more innovation
- Evané Footwear: Downturn was expected.
- Fred Footwear: Positive mindset half the battle won.
- Claw Boot: Challenging but exciting.
- Paul Walsh Agencies: KZN is a poor province by comparison.
- Crossover: Exclusivity a point of difference.
- Arma Trading Store: A small country now overtraded.
- Anwary's: Politics and money.
- Universal Brands: Namibia faces many challenges.
- KG Chapaner & Co: Uncertainty and second hand goods hurting business.
- Anonymous retailer: Local suppliers picking up, but lack of variety.
Trends
- Bolton Footwear and Intershu Distributors share styles for summer.
- EVA Industries innovative with recyclable hangers for flip flops.
Government Intervention
- Masterplan: The government's vision for the CTFL sector, and how footwear manufacturers see it.
SAFLIA and SAFLEC AGMs
- SAFLIA chairman: It's not wise to say things can't get worse!
- SAFLIA director: We remain a resilient industry.
- SAFLEC chairman: Africa remains SA's major export market.
- SAFLEC director: We've made the world aware, now we need the product.
The strike - the war of words goes on
- An outside observer: Both sides miscalculated.
- SAFLIA: No good came out of this.
- SACTWU: No regrets.
- BBF/Neptun: Safety firms want changes to negotiation process.
- Chain reaction: Or lack thereof.
World news
- Almost all footwear sold in the US is imported. Now the industry is terrified of tariffs.
- Why JC Penney is targeting moms instead of Millennials.
- The fastest growing retailer in the US is not what you'd expect.
- Influencer fatigue is turning off shoppers, new study finds.
- The secret to Macy's rebound? Cutting inventory.
Advertisers in this Issue
Azula (2), Europa Art/Sergio Taccini (8), Fred Footwear (10), Katz Footwear (OFC), Tuftex (4).
Footwear Industry Articles
- A 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 ...moreShlobo Designs: Foreign consumers appreciate handwork and the story behind the brand
Durban, 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 ...moreEffects of AI in developing the relationship between feet and footwear (part 1)
Historically, theoretically and practically, our feet have played a significant role in the connection of the body to mother earth. We know that the foot is a hardy, adaptable and biomechanically efficient part of the anatomy, such that little else is required to ensure maximum traction, propulsion, stability, cushioning, shock absorption ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- SARLEN – the journey so far
SARLEN was guided by a model policy framework for the leather value chain, adopted by all member states in 2023. It was supported by Deutsche Zusammenarbeit (German Cooperation), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), with the SADC Secretariat as the principal sponsor.The building blocks are ass ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': TraceabilityThe EU Commission is very much engaged in bringing traceability of our raw materials to the forefront of tannery management. But let’s reflect on this for a moment. In the industrial world traceability is a fact, and particularly where food is involved, traceability is a standard requirement for trading. This is firstly to ensure fo ...moreLEATHER’S ELEMENTARY UNIT
Geoff 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
- The concepts behind safety: Why bother with PPE on the ‘Road to Zero Harm’?
For over a decade, the ILO and other such bodies have been pushing this whole notion of "Zero Harm", "Road to Zero" and other such catchy titles, all pushing the idea most probably backed by one-sided research that "Zero Harm" is the only way and can be achieved if you work hard enough.My problem with this id ...moreSelecting the correct protective clothing for a hazardous chemical environment
In South Africa’s diverse industrial landscape, from mining operations in Rustenburg to petrochemical plants in Secunda and manufacturing hubs in Durban, workers are regularly exposed to hazardous chemical environments that demand more than just basic safety measures.The selection of appropriate protective clothing is not only ...moreStatistical shape modelling for population-specific respirator design: Addressing fit failure in South African populations
Respirators are widely regarded as the last line of defence against hazardous airborne exposures. Whether protecting healthcare workers from tuberculosis, laboratory personnel from infectious samples, or workers exposed to carcinogenic dusts and fumes, respirators are often relied upon when other controls cannot eliminate exposure. This r ...more
