S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No10 October 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Interview
- Bata SA is making a renewed effort to grow more brands with chains, says new country manager Lorraine Dyer.
11 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Younger generation decides Puma’s strategic direction on leather.
- Can Uber Eats help Allbirds turn a profit?
- Timberland returns to India after exiting in 2015.
12 The R-CTFL Masterplan
- Clusters were ‘very successful’ says IDC. New clusters ‘likely’, but no details yet.
14 Sustainability
- Archroma ‘breakthrough’ in bio-based textile printing for ‘brilliant black’.
16 Out of the mainstream
- Pretoria small business Oh Sole plans own hands-on manufacturing to supply retailers.
20 Export & Trade
- Global footwear trends and the impact of evolving consumer behaviour on exports, by Nerisha Jairaj of SAFLEC.
Advertisers in this Issue
Arena Trims (13), BBF Safety Group (04, 09), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), FrontierCo/Busby (08), Fusion Leather World (03), Haesloop Agencies (17), Kaliber Safety Footwear/For the Motor Industry/Safety Boots (06, 11), Kaytex Belts (19), Leather Finishing Products (15), Palm Footwear (OFC), Saddler Belts (05), SAFLEC (20), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (21), Shotland Packaging (22).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 20 November 2024.
- Bata SA: Renewed effort to grow brands with chains
Bubblegummers to be ‘a priority product’Durban, KZN, SA – Broadening Bata South Africa’s brand base is a priority – perhaps the priority – for country manager Lorraine Dyer, who joined in August with a background managing apparel brands including Converse and Calvin Klein.That has been the goal under su ...moreYounger generation decides Puma’s strategic direction on leather
Puma’s recent decision to significantly reduce leather usage in its footwear is a clear reflection of the evolving landscape of the fashion industry, driven primarily by the preferences of the younger generation. Gen Y, Z, and Alpha, who collectively make up around 65% of the U.S. population, are increasingly pri ...moreCan Uber Eats help Allbirds turn a profit?
Allbirds, the sustainable footwear brand, has made a strategic move by partnering with Uber Eats, despite facing significant financial struggles. The company continues to prioritize sustainability in every aspect, from its products to logistics, and this collaboration further highlights that commitment. Throu ...moreTimberland returns to India after exiting in 2015
Initial Exit and Market StrugglesAccording to Livemint, Timberland, famous for its hiking boots and outdoor gear, withdrew from the Indian market in 2015 after struggling to establish a foothold. The primary reason for its exit was fierce competition from Woodland, a Canadian-founded footwear brand that entered India in 1992 and domi ...moreClusters ‘very successful’, IDC says
As part of the R-CTFL Masterplan, the Industrial Development Corporation funded 2 ‘subnational clusters’ to enhance local manufacturing capabilities. In Durban, the Mr Price Cluster involved Labora Shoes and Smiley’s Footwear, and in Pietermaritzburg, Eddels was the manufacturing partner in the Foschini Cluster. Both are being wound up. Tshepo Ramodibe, IDC Head of Corporate Affairs, replies to S&V’s questions. ...moreArchroma ‘breakthrough’ in bio-based textile printing for ‘brilliant black’
Pratteln, Switzerland (14 October 2024) – Archroma has introduced the NTR Printing System to make bio-based pigment printing commercially possible for the first time. Based on renewable raw materials* and designed for safer chemistry, it helps apparel and textile brands reduce their environmental footprint while producing brilliant ...moreOh Sole: Handmade with a machine finish – and no stinting on components
Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – Yes, they’re both arty, but there’s almost no connection between cutting hair and cutting patterns. So for Conrad Kalp, who started his working life as a hair stylist, fashion, specifically fashion footwear, was a strong enough calling to start studying all over again to enter an entirely new care ...moreGlobal footwear trends and the impact of evolving consumer behaviour on exportsSponsored by the SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC).The worldwide footwear sector is experiencing notable changes driven by technology advancements, evolving fashion trends, and shifting consumer preferences. Below are the significant trends and shifts in consumer purchasing habits.Current Trends in Footwear1. Emphasis on s ...more
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Footwear Industry Articles
- Nike claims ‘mental benefits’ from new styles, observers take wait-and-see approach
Nike makes big technical claims for a category of non-sport footwear (their description: pre-game and post-game) launched in January.Certainly not the first footwear to incorporate underfoot pressure points, ‘Nike Mind Technology’ is 2 shoes – a mule and a sneaker (in different colour options) – which Nike says lit ...moreStokies: New owner plans to resurrect a homegrown brandScottburgh, KZN, SA – Trendy Shoes, a KZN South Coast retailer which also has its own footwear factory producing footwear for its own 3 stores, bought the long-established but run-down brand, Stokies, from Faulks Footwear, which has now closed. Hussain Khan answers our questions.What attracted you to Stokies?What attracted us to Sto ...moreTshepo opens new store at Mall of Africa
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (02 June 2026) — South African fashion brand Tshepo has opened its second store at Mall of Africa.Tshepo, founded by Tshepo Mohlala in Victoria Yards 10 years ago, specialises in locally made denim jeans.“Victoria Yards remains central to Tshepo's identity, serving as the bran ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- World first - compost: Possible, desirable, not necessarily simple
The world of compostable leather is not as historically accurate as the industry would like it to be. The definition of leather is: “hide or skin with its original fibrous structure more or less intact, tanned to be imputrescible (rot-proof). Hair or wool may or may not have been removed, and the material can include split layers or ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': You have to be very clever to understand this document, but hopefully it will do some goodIn June, UNIDO launched an impressive document called “Guideline”. It is a very detailed, environment oriented, technical and scientific document where the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCP) play a prominent role. The document, peer reviewed, has been developed for UNIDO with the main contributor ...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 ...moreRealPPE Marketplace: Where safety meets smarter procurementRealPPE Marketplace is a 100% black women-owned B2B PPE marketplace built for South African industry. Founded after years of witnessing safety officers and procurement teams lose time to fragmented suppliers, inconsistent pricing, and missing documentation, RealPPE was created to bring structure and reliability to industrial PPE sourcing. ...moreIndoor air quality monitoring: protecting people, processes, and productivity in South Africa
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is becoming an increasingly important topic across South Africa as industries place greater focus on occupational safety, environmental controls, and operational reliability. While air quality concerns were once mainly associated with mining, heavy industry, or healthcare environments, businesses across multiple s ...more
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