S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol87 No10 October 2021
This Magazine is sponsored by SAFLIA
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 This Month's Focus Sector: School Shoes and Belts
- After 18 months of 'bust' maybe a brief moment of 'boom'?
- Comments by:
- Hans Beier, Neucoat: Locally made synthetic school shoe upper material launched.
- Michael Wyatt, Bata SA: It all depends on customers' sell out rate.
- Rajeev Pattundeen, Palm Footwear: In the bigger picture, this is just another blip.
- Andrew Fenwick, Saddler Belts: 'We'll respond to the future together.'
- Shane van Niekerk, Jet: Anticipating close-to-normal demand, but pressure on prices.
- Sharon New, Term Footwear: Looking to source from countries 'more aligned to the UK'.
- Delanie Bezuidenhout, My Walk With Soul: Combining recycling PVC with donated school shoes.
11 Sector: Safety Footwear
- Wayne Plastics: Gumboot manufacturers at the forefront of footwear's campaign to be recognised as sustainable.
12 Sector: Travel Goods
- Kennith Barlow, Destinations by Frasers: After a long famine, travel goods retailers need to stock up for a deluge.
13 The U.S. Market
- Marshall Cohen, the NPD Group: Holiday 2021 - A season of comfort and concern.
14 New Ideas
- Russell Addinall: If you can imagine it, you can make it - product development, internships and training.
15 Trade Fairs
- MICAM Milano: Re-launch 'exceeded expectations' - now preparations for February edition get underway.
17 Notice Board
- Debbie Ditchfield obituary: Like a shooting star, a brief, glorious life.
Advertisers in this Issue
BBF Safety Group (OFC), Caterpillar / Medicus Footwear (13), Corvari Footwear / Angels (17), Corvari Footwear / Natural Steps (15), Destinations by Frasers/Busby (04), Destinations by Frasers/ Delsey (06), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), Italtan (03), Karma / Caterpy (09), Manock Naturals (10), New Creation Shoes (16), SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (18), Saddler Belts (07).
In The Next Issue:
- Focus Sector: A look at some local brands.
Out on November 26
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Footwear Industry Articles
- Shlobo 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 ...moreAn industry with distinctive material riches, unable to sufficiently convert them into finished goods in a world class way“The project’s purpose,” said Courtney Grant, “is to be a robust, evidence-based strategy to address the leather and general goods sector’s challenges and unlock its growth potential.”The main headings of her presentation were:Creating the groundwork for a National Leather and General Goods Strategy:Fro ...moreKen Riches: Reflections on an extraordinary life: Those who can, do – those who can do it even better, teach
It’s been 18 years this month since Ken Riches died. Here is a glimpse into what lay under that fairly protective exterior.Ken Riches, one of our country’s true footwear experts, passed peacefully on to that final production line in the sky on 11 August 2008. He had lived through the rapidly changing times from just after the ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Improving the strength and softness of crust leather through pressure treatment
IntroductionRetanning and fatliquoring have a major impact on the characteristics of leather, whereas dyeing and the finishing concentrate on the appearance of the leather. Various retanning agents and fatliquoring agents have been developed to improve the softness and mechanical strength of leather, parameters that are important to the b ...moreBeyond the data trap: Why better decisions matter more than just more data
On 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 ...moreWorld first - compost: Possible, desirable, not necessarily simple
The world of compostable leather is not as historically accurate as the industry would like it to be. The definition of leather is: “hide or skin with its original fibrous structure more or less intact, tanned to be imputrescible (rot-proof). Hair or wool may or may not have been removed, and the material can include split layers or ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Further 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 ...moreChina-made firefighting equipment now needs verification of conformity with SANS standardsPretoria, Gauteng, SA – Firefighting equipment is among the 25 product categories published on 01 April by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition for a mandatory Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) Programme.The system will require certain goods shipped from China to be tested and certified before they enter the ...moreOccupational 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 £ ...more
