S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No6 June 2024
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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
- Alternative to master plan is not anarchyNote: This article is about the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition’s master plans as a concept, not about the R-CTFL Master Plan specifically. ...moreItalian Trade Agency sponsors SA visit to Milan fairs
This September, SAFLEC, accompanied by a group of trailblazing members funded by the Italian Trade Agency, made a significant and impactful presence at Simac Tanning Tech, Lineapelle, Micam, and Milan Fashion Week.More than a routine industry visit, this participation was a strategic initiative designed to gather high-level intelligence a ...moreManagement changes at Bata SA
Durban, KZN, SA – Bata SA country manager Michael Wyatt has been promoted to president of Bata Africa-Middle East and Bata Industrials.The new Bata SA country manager is Lorraine Dyer, who has over 20 years retail and wholesale experience in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.In a release, Bata SA said “her track re ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Surge in exports to Brazil and Argentina in 2023 : Is South America a new Eldorado for SA’s automotive leather industry?
Note: S&V African Leather asked both Bader SA and Pangea SA, SA’s – and Africa’s – surviving specialist automotive leather tanneries, to comment for this article. At the deadline, neither had responded. ...moreCelebrity panel to judge ‘Real Leather’ competition
Washington, DC, U.S. (16 August 2024) – The promotional blog Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD), funded by the Leather & Hide Council of America (LHCA) to promote U.S. leather internationally, organises an annual international student design competition. It has issued the following release: ...moreEnzymatic removal of proteoglycans in hides promotes opening-up of collagen fibre bundles
IntroductionWhen a hide loses moisture, the proteoglycans present in the hide stick the collagen fibres together. This negatively impacts the penetration of water and other chemicals into the hides during processing, and also the opening-up of the collagen fibres and hence the softness of the leather. It is therefore ideal to remove prote ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Dangee Carken enters safety footwear
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Fashion footwear company Dangee Carken has entered the safety footwear market with its Grittgear brand.Safety footwear industry veteran Mark Silverman has joined as a director of Dangee leading its safety division.“With three decades in the workwear industry, I have gained an in-depth understanding ...moreUnderstanding the issues using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in OHS
Artificial intelligence is an innovative and transformative technology that has been making waves across various industries & today is the big buzzword in business. But very few of us understand what AI is and means, including OHS practitioners who are starting to use AI in the OHS field.Firstly, the Occupation Health & Safety fie ...moreEnhancing health and safety: Essential controls for managing inclement weather risks for high-risk activities in construction
Introduction:The increasing effects of global warming are leading to more frequent and unpredictable adverse weather. The severity of these conditions is becoming more pronounced, with heavy and continuous rainfall, high winds, and plummeting temperatures in some parts of South Africa. Contractors must adapt health and safety (H&S) co ...more
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