S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No7 July 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Upfront
- Has Nike’s greed come back to haunt it?
- Relationships have to be more equal, says Mike’s Sports’ Mike Augoustides.
- Springbok sponsors – as a sports shop, we can’t get a single jersey, says Action Sports Retailers’ Theo Koutsoudis.
- Their strategy hasn’t unfolded as they expected, says The Vault/American Clothing’s Kamlesh Chagan.
- I’ve ‘filled the gap’, thank you, says L. Cohen Outfitters’ Martin Cohen.
- Others have taken their place, says McCoy’s Outfitters/Playboy Sports’ Iqbal Mahomed.
- Kappa launches Kaizer Chiefs’ replica range.
14 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Shein and Temu face uncertain times in SA amid high tariff push.
- From traditional dress to sneakers – a Japanese success story.
- Skechers-Shein partnership: Dilution or strategic expansion?
- Celebrity-favoured Golden Goose reveals staggering debt ahead of IPO.
- Nike unveils Hyperice Boot – a game-changer or just hype?
21 Export & Trade
- Expanding horizons: Leveraging African trade opportunities with SAFLEC’s outward selling missions, by Nerisha Jairaj.
22 Sustainability
- SGS adds to its ‘green’ certificates.
23 Notice Board
- Obituary: Stephan Berrill, who was happiest as a technical shoemaker.
Advertisers in this Issue
Arena Trims (08), BBF Safety Group (OFC), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), FrontierCo/Busby (06), Haesloop Agencies (10), Kaytex Belts (12), Leather Finishing Products (16), Saddler Belts (04), SAFLEC (07), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (21), Shotland Packing (14).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 23 August 2024.
- Skechers-Shein partnership: Dilution or strategic expansion?
Since 2023, Skechers’ decision to sell on Shein has raised eyebrows. Known for its comfortable, casual, and sometimes athletic shoes, Skechers occupies a market space perceived to offer higher quality compared to Shein’s fast-fashion, low-price model. This move has some analysts worried about a potential dilution of Skech ...moreCelebrity-favoured Golden Goose reveals staggering debt ahead of IPO
Golden Goose, the Italian footwear brand favoured by celebrities like Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift, is preparing to shed its private veil and enter the public eye through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). This seemingly glamorous transition, however, exposes a surprising truth: the company is grappling with significant debt and might be ...moreNike unveils Hyperice Boot - a game-changer or just hype?
Nike has launched what they call The Nike x Hyperice Boot, a tech-enabled product designed to enhance athlete warm-up and recovery. This wearable technology is aimed at helping athletes perform at their best. The boot is a result of a partnership between Nike and Hyperice, a company known for its expertise in reco ...moreSGS adds to its ‘green’ certifications
International testing, inspection and certification company SGS has launched 2 additions to its SGS Green Marks programme: Product Carbon Footprint and Carbon Footprint Reduced. Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) is an essential measurement of greenhouse gas emission and removal within a product’s life cycle. Brands, manufacturers, ...moreFrom traditional dress to sneakers - a Japanese success story
Tokyo Kimono Shoes isn’t just a footwear company; it’s a story of innovation, sustainability, and cultural revival. Founded by Shotaro Kawamura, a former logistics professional who witnessed the decline of Japanese brands, Tokyo Kimono Shoes is taking the world by storm with its unique sneakers crafted from recycled kimono fab ...moreHappiest as a technical shoemaker
Obituary: Stephan Berrill – Jack & Jill, Paul Moeller & Co., Adidas, Angels Shoes (29/03/1956-15/07/2024) ...moreExpanding horizons: Leveraging African trade opportunities with SAFLEC's outward selling missionsThe South African Footwear and Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) is paving the way for its members to tap into African markets to grow their businesses through strategic outward selling and inward buying missions. These missions, tailored to maximize market presence and drive sales, are a game-changer for South African footwear and leather ...moreHas Nike’s greed come back to haunt it?Early in July, international media carried reports about a steep fall in Nike’s share price following disappointing results. One was Sky News, which headlined a report: ‘How a series of blunders brought Nike's share price to COVID lows and meant it's being beaten by younger rivals.The iconic sportswear brand has switched away ...moreRelationships have to be more equalCape Town, W. Cape, SA – I’m sure Nike’s decision to drop so many retailers can’t have helped their recent performance, but I don’t know how much damage that did to them.It was mostly motivated by the opportunity to double their markup – that’s the only reason that makes sense. But what they didn& ...moreSpringbok sponsors – and as a sports shop we can’t get a single jerseyPort Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA – What we hear is that both Nike and Adidas are losing sales internationally.Here, however, we’re affected by Nike’s Springbok sponsorship deal – as a sports shop, we can’t get a single Springbok rugby jersey or replica shirt. We couldn’t get them during the World Cup, we cou ...moreTheir strategy hasn’t unfolded as they expectedCape Town, W. Cape, SA – Yes, Nike has been down this road before. Their current new Global Strategy to streamline their distribution was implemented and we independent businesses were out of their bigger plan. This sadly led to many independent retailers, dependent onNike, Adidas, NB, etc., to close down or to downscale their opera ...moreI’ve ‘filled the gap’, thank youCape Town, W. Cape, SA – L. Cohen Outfitters Est 1912 was the first independent in Wynberg to acquire the Nike brand, a situation that we held for a number of years before Nike's policy changed to supplying numerous stores in close proximity.Those were the good years.The World didn't end when they advised that they would be terminat ...moreOthers have taken their placeLouis Trichardt, Limpopo, SA – I do think their drop in business is because they have sidelined all the independents. After all, it was the independents that grew the brand, not the chain groups. With this being said, all other companies have taken advantage and grown to another level. One of those is Puma which has grown so much an ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Obituary: Joe McGinley, Conshu (14/04/1936-20/05/2026) He ran an empire, but kept a human touch
Somerset West, W. Cape, SA – Joseph Pascal McGinley, the former Conshu director who died in May, a month after his 90th birthday, was a larger-than-life character who was renowned during his career in SA for his kindness, and who lived life to the full.Born in Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland, to Joseph and Madeline McGinley, both doct ...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 ...moreRetail: ‘If you can’t make what’s needed, retail can’t sell what you make’“I have had a consistent message for manufacturers from when the Masterplan started,” said Michael Lawrence, executive director of the National Clothing Retail Federation (NCRF). “Bring us what can sell to consumers, and we’ll buy it. There are some caveats, of course, around issues like value, design, branding, su ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Professional hunting ‘not currently affected’ by Iran war, FMDPretoria, Gauteng, SA – Foot and mouth disease (FMD) has not so far affected members of the Professional Hunters’ Association of SA (PHASA), CEO Jess de Klerk said in a written response to S&V African Leather, and the effect of the Middle East War on international hunters visiting SA this year “is not a concern yet&r ...moreImproving 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 ...moreLEATHER’S ELEMENTARY UNIT
Geoff Attenburrow’s PhD student David M. Wright worked on the behaviour of leather under strain (Attenburrow, 1993; Wright, 1996). They were the first to describe that leather had a “co-operating unit”, a set of structures within leather that helped the leather to resist breaking and to resist deformation at low strain.T ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Statistical shape modelling for population-specific respirator design: Addressing fit failure in South African populations
Respirators are widely regarded as the last line of defence against hazardous airborne exposures. Whether protecting healthcare workers from tuberculosis, laboratory personnel from infectious samples, or workers exposed to carcinogenic dusts and fumes, respirators are often relied upon when other controls cannot eliminate exposure. This r ...moreWhat if the respirator you rely on to protect your health never sealed properly?
I had the opportunity to present at the first PPE Conference in RSA, where I shared some early work we) have been exploring towards developing respirator designs better suited to the South African population.Below is a short AI-generated summary of the core message of the presentation.Respirators are often the last line of defence against ...moreJCB Footwear steps into a new eraJCB Footwear has announced the relaunch of its product range in South Africa, marking a new chapter for the brand in partnership with newly appointed distributor, Kaliber Safety Footwear, which is no stranger to the industry with its own successful range of safety and security footwear products.The relaunch introduces an entirel ...more
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