S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No6 June 2024
Click the advert links for more info. • Download PDF
IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Upfront
- SA’s Chinese-owned factories: Frequently overlooked, but they shouldn’t be.
- Hi-Tec’s acquisition of Trappers – incremental improvements, not rapid growth, says Hi-Tec CEO Gary de Vogel.
- Paragon adds PPE reseller division to footwear factory.
07 Sportswear
- The Comrades Expo and Marathon – the shoe count: It’s still Asics’ show.
- Technical running exhibitors – Tifosi: Getting it ON.
- Falke: Clawing back market share with Mikado brand.
- The non-athletic exhibitors at Comrades.
- Waterkloof Golf Club opts for petrol carts over electric.
14 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Birkenstock shines, but let’s not forget the journey.
- Hoka – from running niche to lifestyle phenomenon.
- Under Armour’s struggle to regain its premium status.
21 Italy
- Italian footwear industry: Turnover and exports fall in first quarter.
23 Notice Board
- Retirement: Gerald Naidoo, outgoing general secretary of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of SA.
Advertisers in this Issue
Afro-Thai Industries/Aerosoft (09), Arena Trim (18), BBF Safety Group (05), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), FrontierCo/Busby (07), Haesloop Agencies (15), Kaliber (05), Kaytex Belts (13), Leather Finishing Products (20), LGB Distributors/Admiral (06), Palm Footwear (OFC), Saddler Belts (04), SAFLEC (16), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (17), Shotland Packing (22), Smerilli Design Manufacturing (11).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 26 July 2024.
- Paragon adds PPE reseller division to footwear factory
Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – Footwear manufacturer Paragon Footwear (Pty) Ltd has launched a PPE division, trading as Paragon PPE, and headed by director Dione Govender.Paragon PPE is an online reseller of a large range of leading brands of safety footwear, workwear, and branded corporate clothing and accessories. – Website www ...moreThe shoe count: It’s still Asics’ show
The official Comrades Marathon shoe count – based on entry forms – shows no real surprises.Asics, with 34%, remains the comfortable leader. Adidas, New Balance, and Nike were the only others to reach double figures.“My only doubt is the Adidas figure,” said The Sweatshop’s Jax Snyman. “They were footwea ...moreFalke: Clawing back market share with Mikado brand
Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – Over the past year, Falke Hosiery SA has been repurposing its Mikado stocking hosiery brand to include a medium-price sock range aimed at the domestic market.While over 80% of its Falke-branded technical sock production – which includes sports socks for running, skiing and hiking, with patented left- an ...moreTifosi: Getting It ON
Was the expo well organised? Siphiwe Maseko: From set up everything went well, our setup crew were there to assist on the set up and any changes to be made on the spot were fulfilled swiftly to make sure the display was in order. The Expo started on time and the influx of runners brought the vibe. The organisers made it to manoeuvre the e ...moreThe non-athletic exhibitors at Comrades
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition sponsors local manufacturers of non-sports products to exhibit at the Comrades Expo. This year, that group included: ...moreWaterkloof Golf Club opts for petrol carts over electric
Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – Waterkloof Golf Club has opted for reliability and ease of operation of its golf cart fleet as it switches to petrol-powered Club Car carts with roomy and comfortable interiors for its members.The new carts are made in the USA with large-framed golfers in mind and boast advanced suspension setups to soak up a ...moreBirkenstock shines, but let’s not forget the journey
Birkenstock’s recent performance is impressive. Some key financial highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, include:* Revenue of €481.2 million, representing an increase of 23%.* Strong double-digit revenue growth across all segments, including reven ...moreHoka — from running niche to lifestyle phenomenon
A Story of Growth and TransformationHoka, founded in 2009 in France and acquired by Deckers Brands in 2013, has revolutionized the athletic footwear market with its signature “maximalist” shoes featuring oversized midsoles. Its annual sales for the year ending March 31, 2024, reached $1.807 billion, a 27.9% surge, showcasing i ...moreUnder Armour’s struggle to regain its premium status
Under Armour, once a leading athletic apparel brand, has been facing a significant decline in sales and profitability. Despite a healthy turnover of $1.33 billion for the period ending Q4 2024, the company’s sales have dropped by 5% compared to the same period last year. Additionally, its net income has plummeted to $6.6 million fro ...moreRetirement: ‘A long and mostly enjoyable journey’
Durban, KZN, SA – After 33 years at the Leather Bargaining Council and at the ripe age of 63 years, the curtains have finally come down. My stint as the General Secretary of the Council and Principal Officer of the Leather Industry Provident Fund comes to an end on 31 May 2024.I had a long journey that was mostly enjoyable and at ti ...moreSA’s Chinese-owned factories: Frequently overlooked, but they shouldn’t beSouth Africa’s Chinese-owned shoe factories are a mixed bag. Some have been around a long time and face the same challenges as all other manufacturers, some are on the periphery and are marginally compliant with the bureaucracy governing the industry, others live in the shadows – unregistered businesses, unregistered workers, ...moreHi-Tec acquisition of Trappers – incremental improvements, not rapid growthThe acquisition of Trappers Outdoor by Hi-Tec Sports Distributors was reported in S&V Newsletter on 10 June. Here, Hi-Tec CEO Gary de Vogel replies to questions on the effect of the acquisition. ...moreTechnical running exhibitorsThe days when most running shoe and apparel brands had stands at the Comrades Expo are over. That side is now dominated by race sponsor Mr Price Sport, which runs a retail outlet at the fair. There were some running shoe and apparel brands exhibiting, including distributor Tifosi Sports, promoting the Swiss shoe brand, On, distributor Sti ...moreItalian footwear industry: Turnover (-10.1) and exports (-9.7) fall in the first quarter of 2024Milan, Italy (25 June 2024) – The Italian footwear industry experienced a sharp slowdown in the first quarter of 2024, recording a drop in both exports (-9.7% in value and -10.3% in pairs) and turnover (-10.1%). This scenario emerges from the latest report produced by Centro Studi Confindustria Moda for Assocalzaturifici, which also ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Running is a global focus for Adidas; locally, we want to help Cape Town achieve International Major Marathon status
Tom Brown is senior brand director at Adidas. He answered our questions.Is Adidas targeting technical running internationally, or is this mainly in SA?Technical running is a proud cornerstone of the adidas business internationally and we constantly endeavour to develop the best products and work with the best athletes and events. Last yea ...moreThat bag goes on auction
The original Hermès Birkin bag – more about capacity than style.The original Hermès Birkin bag, which acted as the blueprint for what would become one of the most desirable celebrity status symbols in the world, will be auctioned by Sotherby’s in Paris on 10 July.According to CNN, in 1984 actress and singer ...moreFollowing Trump’s tariff hikes, can mass shoe production actually be moved to the US? The answer is – it’s not that simple.President Trump’s escalation on Wednesday with the announcement of sweeping reciprocal tariffs have sparked a lot of questions and concerns among the footwear industry.One of these questions that are top of mind for many is: how realistic is it to bring shoe manufacturing back to the States? The answer is – it’ ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Determining the product environmental footprint of ostrich leatherA priority for SA’s ostrich tanneries ...moreKaran Beef hit by FMD – no response from Bader SA on likely hold up in hide supplyCampaign to control and eradicate the disease ‘paying off’, DoA says ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humourMario PucciFirst, I would like to pay tribute to my friend Mario Pucci, former head of communications and international activities of Italian ASSOMAC, who left us on June 2nd. My sincere condolences to Antonella, Mrs Pucci.SavarIt’s extremely sad to note that Bangladesh is lifting the export ban on raw hides and wet blue leathers, a ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Beier Group, Department of Higher Education and SETA ‘better together’
Pinetown, KZN, SA – The Beier Group, which includes the BBF Safety Group, in December hosted the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET) and the FP&M SETA for an oversight visit to ensure that state funds are being used in accordance with the Sectoral Skills Plan.DHET deputy minister Dr Mimmy Martha Gondwe and SETA ...moreMine deaths in SA ‘lowest ever’ in 2024Extract from the release of 2024 mine health and safety statistics by Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, on 23 January 2025. ...moreUnderstanding respirator PPE
The subject of Respirator Personal Protective Equipment is confusing until one understands the basic concept requirements.OHS Act defines Respiratory Protective Equipment as a device which is worn over at least the mouth and nose to prevent the inhalation of air borne hazardous chemical substances and which is of a type or conforms to a s ...more
© S&V Publications
