S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol88 No1 January 2022
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Focus Sector
- Sneakers: If local manufacturing is to grow, it must find a way of getting into this market.
05 The U.S. Market
- Top 5 retail trends to watch in the new year.
06 Sector Reports
- Safety footwear - BBF: Championing local manufacturing in workplace safety solutions.
10 Components
- Logomotif: Branding made visible.
11 Logistics
- The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is developing IT solutions to counter supply bottlenecks.
12 Sustainability
- Huntsman and Shincell create fully recyclable TPU foam for footwear.
13 Italy
- Recovery led by branded exports.
13 Fairs & Events
- Première Vision appoints fashion director.
14 Notice Board
- Nigel Plumpton obituary: The best times in life were around the campfire.
- Chris Bezuidenhout obituary: The Cross Trainer mourns the loss of its GM.
- Ron MacNiven obituary: A corporate man with a rebellious sense of humour.
Advertisers in this Issue
BBF Safety Group (OFC), Caterpillar / Medicus Footwear (05), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), Italtan (below), S&V Calendar (10), S&V Diretory (11), SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (07), Saddler Belts (06), Soft Wear (04).
In The Next Issue:
- Innovative manufacturers: New ideas, new looks, new ways of doing things.
Out on February 4
- BBF: Championing local manufacturing in workplace safety solutionsPinetown, KZN, SA - BBF Safety Group is an integrated workplace safety solutions provider that helps customers create safe working environments. BBF was formed on the basis of championing local manufacturing, procurement and SMME development – an objective more relevant now to get the South African economy back on its feet tha ...moreLogomotif: Branding made visibleCape Town, W. Cape, SA - Logomotif, founded in 1997 and 25 years old this year, is an entirely South African business and the only local manufacturer of the moulded branding trims it produces. It has a wide range of branded customers, including clothing and footwear manufacturers. Its custom-made PVC moulded products for clothing, f ...moreHuntsman and Shincell create fully recyclable TPU foam for footwearThe Woodlands, Texas, USA – Huntsman has developed a new thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which is fully recyclable, UV protected and can be extruded into a film and then easily expanded into foamed sheets. The special grade of Irogan TPU was developed by Huntsman, in conjunction with the Shincell New Material Company Ltd, which is ...morePremière Vision: Desolina Suter appointed fashion directorParis, France - This month, Desolina Suter has joined the Première Vision team as fashion director. Of dual French/Italian origin, she is an expert in materials, colours and trends, and has been Première Vision’s fashion correspondent in Italy for nearly 15 years. She will be in charge of coordinating the Premi&e ...moreObituary: Nigel Plumpton: The best times in life were around the campfireObituary: Nigel Plumpton - CNB Industries (29/04/1949-29/10/2021) ...moreObituary: Chris Bezuidenhout - The cross trainer mourns the loss of GMObituary: Chris Bezuidenhout - The Cross Trainer (11/12/1951-16/12/2021) Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Frame Leisure Trading, T/A The Cross Trainer, is saddened to announce the passing of its beloved General Manager, Chris Bezuidenhout. “Chris spearheaded many businesses, with the inclusion of taking our company and facili ...moreObituary: Ron MacNiven - Bata, Edworks, Decofurn (24/09/1944-09/01/2022) - A corporate man with a rebellious sense of humourDurban, KZN, SA - Ron arrived in the then Rhodesia from Scotland as a schoolboy. He kept his Scottish accent throughout his life, which I teased him about. I met him in the late 1960s when he was one of Bata's retail shop managers in the then Salisbury. Through various promotions, he became retail personnel m ...moreHandmade Espadril: A touch of the MedPatricia Terre is Spanish. With local Rizqah Isaacs, she co-founded Handmade Espadril in 2014. She studied fashion styling at Central Saint Martins in London and both worked in retail with first line and luxury brands for years. "We lived surrounded by some of the most exclusive brands in the world, which taught us everything we know ...moreIT solutions for stable supply chainsThe Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, headquartered in Germany, describes itself as the world’s leading applied research organization, and we frequently carry its reports in S&V Footwear & Leather Goods' sister publication, S&V Protect. This report, however, is pertinent for all our publications. ...moreItaly: Recovery led by brand exportsFootwear industry: double-digit recovery in 2021 (turnover +16.2% over 12 months, according to the earliest projections) despite a -10 to -15% gap compared to 2019. Recovery is uneven: the big names are making great progress, while 2 out of 3 companies close the year with revenues below pre-Covid levels. Uncertainty is caused by a fresh o ...more
- PRICE:TBAPRICE:TBAPRICE:TBA
Footwear Industry Articles
- Comrades Expo 2026Durban, 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 ...moreWayne's Phambili range: Practical boots from non-safety to full protectionRoodepoort, Gauteng, SA – Wayne's Phambili range combines everyday comfort, dependable durability and clearly defined levels of protection in a practical range of PVC work boots. Developed for demanding working environments, the 3-boot lineup makes it easy to choose the protection best suited to the job while delivering the comfort ...moreSAFLEC AGM 2026: Strengthening of relationships between industry organisations and government a key developmentThis has been a defining year for the South African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC). It has been a year of innovation, collaboration and meaningful progress, where together with our members and strategic partners, we have continued to strengthen the competitiveness of South Africa's footwear and leather industry while creat ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Beyond the data trap: Why better decisions matter more than just more dataOn 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 ...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. ...moreWhen communication moves faster than truth: Why credible, evidence-based information matters more than ever.We have never had more information at our fingertips. We have also never had to work quite so hard to determine which information we should trust. Communication today moves at extraordinary speed. Social media platforms, digital news, corporate communications, industry reports and, increasingly, artificial intelligence allow information t ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Obituary: Colin Battle, agent (17/04/1957-27/07/2026): Our sales trips were a whole life experienceDearest Lee, Greg & Sammy,I send my sincerest condolences & wishes of long and healthy lives to all of you, after the passing of your beloved Colin. I’ve no doubt that once the pain of losing an adored husband and father starts to subside, you will be left the glorious memories of your lives together with a most wonderful an ...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 £ ...moreGlobal stage for occupational safety innovations: exhibitor registration for A+A 2027 has begunDüsseldorf, 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 ...more
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