S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol87 No2 February 2021
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Stitchdowns
- It's been a great ride - can it continue?
- Strassbergers: Anchored in its core market, says JJ du Plessis.
- Bolton Footwear: So much potential still, say Tim Vermeulen, Samantha Pillay and Gordon Gassert.
- Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather: It may be time to be a bit wary of overtrading, says Grant Munro.
- Veldskoen: It's all about making an age-old style trendy, says Ross Zondagh.
- FLIC: The Veldskoen phenomenon, by Russell Addinall.
11 Business
- New distributor for Palladium, Ben Sherman.
- Promo One: Clarifying the situation.
- Crafter Kim-G secures its first export order.
14 Technology
- Texon 'significantly increases sustainable content' of Sportflex box toe puff material.
- Lectra to acquire rival Gerber Technology.
15 Fairs
- Milan Fairs: The virus wins as organisers go digital, but plan normal September editions.
16 Notice Board
- Looking back: A great journey so far, says Adrian McElhinney.
- Obituary: Bernhard Manock, a pioneer in SA leather apparel.
Advertisers in this Issue
Bolton Footwear/Grasshoppers (6), Freestyle (7), Palm Footwear/Terrapod (13), Palm Footwear/Trustees (OFC), Saddler Belts (11), Strassberger Skoene (3), Topline Manufacturers (2).
In The Next Issue:
- Comfort footwear.
Out on March 17
We've revamped our trade fair calendar. Visit https://www.svmag.co.za/events
- Stitchdowns: Strassbergers: Anchored in its core market
How long will stitchdowns be a fashion item this time around?I expect stitchdowns (vellies) to stay in the agricultural market forever. You would, however, have to be very creative in 5 years’ time to still ride the current wave in the malls of SA and the overseas market. Vellies will always be part of “Die Boer” and his ...moreStitchdowns: Bolton Footwear: So much potential still
How long will stitchdowns be a fashion item this time around? It’s hard to predict but I believe stitchdowns current popularity will continue for many more seasons, especially locally due to price and the versatility of the traditional Veldschoen silhouette. Fashion fluctuates depending on the times so the Vellie demand w ...moreStitchdowns: It may be time to be a bit wary of overtrading
How long will stitchdowns be a fashion item this time around?Normally the product life cycle follows a pattern which, towards the tail end, attracts many rats and mice or so-called fly-by-nights. We have an increasing number of the afore-mentioned, which usually precipitates a fall off of business as the category becomes cheapened and hea ...moreStitchdowns: Veldskoen: It's all about making an age-old style trendy
How long will stitchdowns be a fashion item this time around?We would like to see this carry on of course for a long time to come, and we are always looking at new designs and concepts as well, but we also need to focus on growing our brand internationally, and you can’t just release new leathers and designs all the time, it takes t ...moreStitchdowns: The Veldskoen Phenomenon
The name is derived from the Afrikaans vel, later assimilated with veld, and skoene. They were first made by the Dutch settlers in the mid-17th century. The design is believed to be based on the traditional Khoisan footwear observed by these settlers. The footwear was later embedded into the South African cultural psyche, the rest is hist ...moreKim-G secures first export order
Kimberley, N. Cape, SA - S&V has Kim-G Leather Sandals, making 50 pairs/week, listed as a crafter in the Directory. We may have to change that. Opened 2 years ago by former Durbanite Gerry du Toit as a retirement project, Kim-G has just dispatched its first export order to Australia. "The owner of the orthopaedi ...moreTexon 'significantly increases sustainable content' of Sportflex box toe puff material
Skelton, UK (February 02, 2021) - Following a project with one of the world’s leading sports brands, Texon has reengineered one of its most popular box toe puff materials for the footwear industry to include more sustainable content. Collaborating across its supply chain to source more sustainable materials, Texon has increased the ...moreStitchdowns: It's been a great ride - can it continue?Stitchdowns have been riding a global wave for several years now. What makes that special for the southern African footwear industry is that a) it's an evergreen item for a core (and not insignificant) customer group and b), it's a construction that has been made locally since - well forever, really - meaning they have a realistic o ...more
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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 ...moreVermont sale completedJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA – After 39 years, former owner Mandy Owen has sold her shares in Vermont Leathercraft Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd to Creek Lab (Pty) Ltd, and officially handed over the business to Prashant Bhaga.In a message on LinkedIn, she wrote: “I would like to thank my husband, Graham, for his invaluable contributio ...moreComrades Expo 2026
Durban, KZN, SA – The exhibitor list at the Comrades Expo, from 11-13 June, has shown an evolution in the types of companies exhibiting. Just 1 running footwear supplier, Ikhambi Distribution, promoting its Hoka brand, was there.Technical sock suppliers, however, were well represented, with Balega, Falke, Sox Footwear and The Hirst ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Kenya announces $39 million investment to strengthen livestock productionKenya plans to launch a 5 billion-shilling ($38.6 million) investment program to modernize its livestock sector and strengthen one of the country's most important rural industries.President William Ruto announced the initiative on June 1 during a visit to Wajir County in northern Kenya.According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the program ...more‘ESG is a global requirement’
Deborah Taylor, Sustainable Leather FoundationShe spoke about the SLF’s role in supporting harmonisation and minimising duplication of effort across the leather value chain, its education and training, development of robust and credible standards, and advocacy of the leather industry.She quoted the first definition of sustainability ...moreFifteen million sheep in the UK to share among shearersAccording to the UK government, its sheep population decreased over the past year by 1.7% but that still leaves a flock of over 30 million. For comparison, the domestic flock in South Africa numbers about 21 million and New Zealand has some 23 million. Australia, with more than 70 million, has a wool clip of approximately 325,000 tonnes. ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- JCB Footwear steps into a new eraJCB Footwear has announced the relaunch of its product range in South Africa, marking a new chapter for the brand in partnership with newly appointed distributor, Kaliber Safety Footwear, which is no stranger to the industry with its own successful range of safety and security footwear products.The relaunch introduces an entirel ...moreProtecting the workforce: The critical role of PPE
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is utilised in a work-environment as part of a larger prevention plan, because on its own protection is limited and may even provide a false sense of protection.An occupational disease prevention plan must be an actionable approach that identifies workplace health hazards, evaluates exposure, and i ...moreUnderstanding local and international PPE standards: Clarity in a complex landscape
Appearances and claims to the contrary, South Africa’s PPE industry “is largely unregulated, and a high percentage of PPE on the market is not compliant with official standards”, uvex Safety SA MD Christo Nel said, “and that’s a problem at many levels, and for the entire value chain”.He said the fundame ...more
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