S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol89 No4 April 2023
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Upfront
- A hard-fought campaign by SAFLIA to get the minimum duty on imported footwear increased has been stymied - for now. Jirka Vymĕtal explains the lengths the association has gone to so far.
- Boardriders: Going back to the licensee model? Dane Patterson says the likely new owners will probably look for local distributors.
- Revamped Lighthouse Shoes "is an example of black industrialists we're building from the bottom up", says Trade & Industry deputy minister Nomalungelo Gina.
07 Innovation
- Kenyan fish skin tannery develops banana stem-based material for shoes and upholstery. Alisam Products' Newton Owino finds another waste product to beneficiate.
08 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- The first net zero sneaker: Can Allbirds' MO.ONSHOT compete with leather shoes for profitability?
- The rise of gender neutral shoes in America.
10 Technology
- Berzacks' Juki launch: 'Clear indication which machines to hold in stock,' says Keith MacLachlan.
11 Exports & Trade
- Nothing mythical about 'Project Wakanda' as Bata SA grows its export programme.
12 Notice Board
- Obituary: Rob Pringle - components, mentoring, birding, golf...in all things an expert.
- Obituary: Eros Sirilli - a shoemaker's shoemaker.
15 Trade Statistics
- February imports and exports of footwear and accessories, provided by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
Evolution Engineering (this page), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), Royal Adhesive Industries (OFC), Saddler Belts (05), SAFLEC (13), S&V Directory (12), S&V Trade Fair Calendar (07).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 5 May.
Footwear Industry Articles
- Nostalgia: Hub Bijsterveld : Cheese & wine after a career solving consumer complaints
Harare, Zimbabwe – I note Hub Bijsterveld's memorial (09 February) in the Newsletter. Just a snippet about him. He was one of the best, if not the best chemist in the whole of the worldwide Bata Shoe Organisation. We used to have regular annual "Chemeets" in various parts of the world for our Chemists and Hub stood ou ...moreBergstan: Less affected on the plattelandNeither of those has had an effect on my business. I suppose it’s because my stores are more on the platteland. The only thing that has an effect on us is the economy. ...moreWhere are we heading as a society? From slip-on shoes to revolutionary shoelace solutions
21 January 2025 – In a world increasingly defined by convenience and technology, even footwear reflects profound societal changes. The rise of slip-on shoes, led by innovators like Kizik, and the advent of transformative solutions such as Twirlys’ no-tie shoelaces highlight our collective pursuit of simplicity, efficienc ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Audits and reality aren’t always the same thingOn the last day of 2024 I read a very interesting article on Reuters’ website which I want to share with you hoping it is still available https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/inside-luxury-goods-broken-audit-system-2024-12-31/The article focusses on two important issues, being the lack of transparency of part of the ...moreTransforming the leather sector in Ethiopia
A new leather processing programme, 42 new enterprises, 22 women's saving groups, and 2,876 young people with enhanced business development capacities—these are just some of the achievements within The Leather Initiative for Sustainable Employment Creation (LISEC).The three-and-a-half-year Leather Initiative for Sustainable Employme ...moreRETANNING CHEMISTRY - LEFTOVERS
The fundamental function of retanning has been to impart the final crust leather properties to the leather. The strength, softness, grain break, crust resistance (sweat, fastness, water spotting), fullness, drape, roundness, run, and nap properties; are common properties imparted by a typical retannage. The traditional leather science tex ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Mastering contractor management for safety, business efficiency and growth in the mining industry
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (13 November 2024) – The mining industry operates in a complex and demanding environment characterised by rapid technological advancements, stringent safety regulations, and escalating cost pressures. To compete in this context successfully, mining executives must prioritise operational efficiency, cost-eff ...moreHow dangerous is Radon?
Radon is estimated to cause 3% to 14% percent of all lung cancer cases in the world, depending on where you live and how much radon you are exposed to.Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible and odourless gas that enters homes and workplaces unnoticed. It can pose a serious health risk at elevated levels for a prolonged period. But what ...moreCircular economy: Fungal mycelium as the basis for sustainable products
Potsdam, 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
