S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol87 No4 April 2021
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Opinion - IP: Where do rights end and greed begin?
- 'Satan' shoes: Nike vs MSCHF.
- Air Force 1 USPS: U.S. Postal Service vs Nike.
- The value of sneakers as collectibles.
06 The U.S. Market
- Strong recovery for apparel and restaurants.
- Sneakernomics: Let's talk about walking shoes as a category, suggests Matt Powell
07 Technology
- Texon launches ProWeave as a "unique weaving technology" with applications in footwear and PPE.
09 Trade Fairs
- IFEMA: Spanish fair organiser says hybrid events will lead to significant growth.
10 Notice Board
- Looking back: Mussa Hajat of Footwear Centre, Malawi.
- Obituary: Marco Di Lembo, Villani Shoes.
- Obituary: Brian Wallis, BU, Newtech, Shoetech and Safety-Boyz.
Advertisers in this Issue
BBF Safety Group (OFC), Creative Leathergoods (8), Deluxe Footwear (6), Freestyle (3), Saddler Belts (7), Shoepack (4).
In The Next Issue:
- Industrial Footwear.
Out on May 12
We've revamped our trade fair calendar. Visit https://www.svmag.co.za/events
- 'Satan Shoes' to be recalled as Nike agrees to settle lawsuitBBC, April 09, 2021 - Nike says the art collective which made "Satan Shoes" that purportedly contain a drop of human blood in the soles has agreed to issue a voluntary recall as part of a legal settlement. The $1,018 (£740) trainers are modified Nike Air Max 97s. Only 666 pairs were made and all but one have been shipped. ...more'The Nike Air Force 1 USPS' Experimental shoe is neither licensed nor otherwise authorized by the U.S. Postal Service(April 1, 2021) - The Postal Service, which receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations, protects its intellectual property. Officially licensed products sold in the marketplace expand the affinity for the Postal Service brand and provide incremental revenu ...moreThe value of sneakers as collectiblesThe reasoning behind MSCHF's launch was that some branded sneakers have become popular as collectibles. Another BBC story, on April 16, was headlined "Kanye West's $1m Yeezy shoes are 'most valuable to go on auction'." Extracts from that article included these gems: In recent years, sneakers have gained the same collectable stat ...moreProWeave: 'A step forward in woven technology' for shoes and PPE, says TexonPrato, Italy - Texon, bust known to the footwear industry as a cellulose insole board manufacturer, has launched "a unique, patented, jacquard weaving technology", branded ProWeave, which will allow customers to custom design fabric which is then made by Texon. Texon says it has applications for the footwear, apparel, fashion an ...moreIFEMA: Spanish fair organiser says hybrid events will lead to significant growthMadrid, Spain (April 13, 2021) - Spanish trade fair organiser IFEMA Madrid, which includes the twice-yearly Momad shoe fairs in its portfolio of over 50 fairs, says digital platforms and services and the hybridisation of its fairs will add 30% to current turnover over the next 3 years, adding more than €40 million in revenue. L ...moreA proud moment: Looking back: Mussa Hajat, Footwear CentreBlantyre, Malawi - Mussa Hajat, founder of Footwear Centre, is pictured above receiving an Omega watch from Bata Rhodesia MD, Dr Fiksel, at Bata's head office in Gwelo, in 1957. He started work with Bata in 1950 as a salesman in Bata's Blantyre shop, and rose to become sales manager of all Bata's retail shops in Nyasaland. He finally left ...moreThe life and soul of Villani - Obituary: Marco Di Lembo - Villani Shoes (30/07/1973-06/04/2021)Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Marco Di Lembo, the owner of Villani Shoes, died tragically on April 06, aged 47. Born in Johannesburg to Michele and Rosella Di Lembo, he went to Robertsham Primary Junior School before progressing to Sir John Adamson High School. While in high school, Marco matured and earned academic distinctions and partici ...moreItalian shoe machinery expert - Obituary: Brian Wallis - BU, Newtech, Shoetech and Safety-Boyz (16/10/1945-09/04/2021)Durban, KZN, SA - Shoe machinery expert Brian Wallis died unexpectedly on April 09, aged 75. Born and raised in Port Elizabeth, he entered the footwear industry in his early 20s when he joined British United, at that time by far the dominant force in footwear machinery in SA, where he trained as a machinery technician. There he also met h ...moreStrong recovery for apparel and restaurantsExtract from Shop-Eat-Surf, April 15, 2021- The federal government’s monthly retail numbers released Thursday morning backup what we have been hearing anecdotally from industry retailers and brands: consumers opened their wallets in a big way in March.U.S. retail sales grew 9.8% in March compared to the previous month. And most inte ...moreLet's talk about walking shoesWe all know about the running shoe boom. More people are running, trying to stay healthy while also remaining socially distant. Sales of running shoes are up compared to a year ago. I’m firmly convinced we’ll see running shoes return as street wear, something we have not seen in over 8 years. But there is a related trend that ...more
Footwear Industry Articles
- Expectation that December will be betterDavid Fox, Choice ClothingCape Town, W. Cape, SA - It’s been a pretty tough year for most retailers, I think – a weak Rand and cash-strapped consumers. Our Black Friday promotion will run from 21st November to 3rd December, with specials every day. The merchandise will be across the board – T-shirts, jeans, footwear. It ...moreThe Complete Shoemaker – and GolferObituary: Michael Lambrakis – Scotts Group, Frame Group, Poly-Soles, OG Footwear, Kalistos Footwear, Lambella Footwear, Andreoli Shoes, ShoePairMarket (04/04/1945-20/09/2024) ...more2025 FORECASTSBy common consent, 2024 has been a difficult year for almost all businesses, organisations, government departments and people in the SA leather value chain. The main exceptions would have been successful exporters, because the domestic market has been getting poorer year after year. The underlying reasons are mostly to do with the policie ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Rolfes Leather: New owners give it entrée to more African marketsBoksburg, Gauteng, SA – Rolfes Leather and the other 4 divisions which collectively make up the Rolfes Group have been acquired by the Solevo Group, a pan-African distributor of specialty chemicals.In a statement, Solevo said it had bought 100% of Rolfes Group in a deal backed by Solevo’s owner, London-based Development Partne ...moreAgency company changesCape Town, W. Cape, SA – Gert Bosch and Arné Husselman left TST Agencies earlier this year.Bosch started Bosch Technical Services (Pty) Ltd (BTS), which began trading on 01 March, servicing the tanning industry. He represents a number of principals including some formerly represented by TST.Husselman has left the industry and ...moreGroenewald returns to OPSAOudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA – Newald Groenewald rejoined Ostrich Products SA (OPSA) in September as tannery manager.He started at the then Klein Karoo International in 1991 before joining OPSA as tannery manager in 2015. He joined Le Croc as tannery manager in 2021, and left there earlier this year. ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Mitigate risks and enhance efficiency - the ISO accreditation advantageDurban, KZN, SA (11 September 2024) – ISO accreditation is a strategic investment that empowers businesses to enhance their competitiveness, mitigate risks, and seize new market opportunities. By adhering to globally recognised standards, organisations can build trust, streamline operations, and achieve sustainable growth. While the ...moreFostering safety through commitment by empowering workforce development and lifelong dedicationJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA (24 October 2024) – Workplace safety is not merely a regulatory requirement; it is a fundamental aspect of organisational health and success. At its core lies commitment—a steadfast dedication to safeguarding the well-being of employees. When commitment permeates an organisation, it creates a culture ...moreCircular economy: Fungal mycelium as the basis for sustainable productsPotsdam, Germany (02 September 2024) – Fungi have more to offer than meets the eye. Their thread-like cells, which grow extensively and out of sight underground like a network of roots, offer huge potential for producing sustainable, biodegradable materials. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in ...more
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