S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol91 No6 June 2025
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Upfront
- Running remains a difficult market for brands to break into – comment by Jax Snyman of The Sweat Shop.
- The striking difference between the top brands here and in the US – comment by Gordon Howie of Randburg Runner.
- Technically, all the brands have good models – comment by Werner Steinbach of Run A Way.
- Running is a global focus for Adidas; locally, we want to help Cape Town achieve International Major Marathon status – comment by Tom Brown of Adidas SA.
- That bag goes on auction – the ORIGINAL Hermès Birkin bag.
10 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- U.S. footwear industry unites again to oppose crushing tariffs.
- Back to Amazon, up with prices – is Nike’s comeback plan enough?
- Your next Dollar might have an Amazon or Walmart logo.
13 Noticeboard
- Back in the day: When overseas travel was a real trip, Part II. Brian Zyster recalls range building by travel in the 1980s and 90s.
Advertisers in this Issue
Arena Trims (07), East Asian Import & Export (04), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), Haesloop Agencies (09), Kaytex Belts (13), Leather Finishing Products (11), Saddler Belts (OFC), SAFLEC (08), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (05), Shotland Packaging (15).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 18 July 2025. Deadline for submissions 11 July.
- 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 ...moreRunning remains a difficult market for brands to break into
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – The count is probably an accurate reflection of the intentions of the entrants when entries closed on 17 December 24, but it also throws up an oddity: Specialist running shoe retailers I have spoken to will tell you that Asics is the number 1 running brand, but Adidas is definitely not number 2 in their s ...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 ...moreU.S. footwear industry unites again to oppose crushing tariffs
On 29 April 2025, more than 70 major footwear companies — including Nike, Adidas, Skechers, Puma, and Crocs — signed a joint letter to President Donald Trump, urgently requesting that footwear be removed from the list of products subject to new reciprocal tariffs. These companies warned that the added tariff burden poses a ser ...moreBack to Amazon, up with prices — is Nike’s comeback plan enough?
Nike has now reported its fourth straight quarter of declining year-over-year sales. To stop the slide, it’s making two major moves — selling directly on Amazon again and raising prices on select products. These strategies may offer a short-term lift, but deeper challenges remain.Returning to Amazon connects Nike to over 230 m ...moreYour next Dollar might have an Amazon or Walmart logo
Walmart and Amazon are exploring the idea of creating their own digital dollars, known as stablecoins. These are cryptocurrencies tied to the U.S. dollar, designed to hold steady value — unlike Bitcoin or other volatile coins. If launched, these corporate coins could let shoppers pay directly on Amazon or at Walmart without using tr ...moreWhen overseas travel was a real trip, Part II
Back in the day: Range building by travel in the 1980s and 90sSo, I am going to split up my stories into different categories. - The reason for going to Europe and what was required.- Then I will talk about the travel and what happened in the different countries.- Finally, I will be a bit more open on my personal experience. The ...moreThe striking difference between the top brands here and in the USThe Comrades shoe count held no surprises as it is almost identical to the Two Oceans count earlier this year.However, the major point of interest is comparing the market shares of the running shoes brands in South Africa and the USA.Recently released figures from a leading franchise group of 300 specialist running shops in the USA indica ...moreTechnically, all the brands have good modelsPretoria, Gauteng, SA – Well it's always difficult to say how accurate the count is because it's done in November, 7 months before the actual race day. So it's not done physically on the day, and it can change over that time. For example, people can change brands because they aren’t working anymore for them and also a lot of b ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- ‘Footwear and leather goods sectors show united front at R-CTFL Masterplan review’
The R-CTFL Masterplan is currently under review, and a strategic planning session was recently convened with all key stakeholders and representatives present.The footwear and leather contingent participated fully in the session. Representatives from the dtic’s Footwear and Leather sector desk, SAFLEC, SAFLIA, and organised labour, i ...more‘Growth in online gambling may be big factor in siphoning off disposable income’East London, E. Cape, SA – Trading conditions are constrained and steady. We need to focus on good quality products at reasonable prices / value. We are optimistic about the direction of the overall economy in RSA.As a wise man once said regarding growing a business: “Sometimes you have to move slowly to be able to move fast.& ...moreComrades Expo 2026
Durban, KZN, SA – The exhibitor list at the Comrades Expo, from 11-13 June, has shown an evolution in the types of companies exhibiting. Just 1 running footwear supplier, Ikhambi Distribution, promoting its Hoka brand, was there.Technical sock suppliers, however, were well represented, with Balega, Falke, Sox Footwear and The Hirst ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- SA Dorper: Sheepskin demand high, quality low. Bovine wet blue plant ‘rebuilding’Johannesurg, Gauteng, SA – The market for Dorper skins has been mixed for SA Dorper, which exports pickled skins to Italy.“The demand is there,” said MD Raffaele Bicego, “and foot and mouth disease (FMD) has had no effect at all – on our supply, anyway. In fact, quantities are better than usual.“What is ...moreCooperation between SMEs, academia and government can find solutions
Dr Cecilia China, AfriTech Organic Leather Co. Ltd, the Nelson Mandela Institution of Science & Technology She said Africa has the hides and skins but lacks organised systems to convert them into competitive products.She described her interactions with the Kiwango Leather Cluster with the goal of producing high quality, eco-frien ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': Reality check IISo in February, COMESA announced they will launch a regional leather value chain strategy 2025-2029. That is as far as I know at least the third value chain strategy for the COMESA region. I think that it is legitimate to ask what happened to the preceding strategies apart from consuming tens of millions of dollars without tangible result ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Understanding local and international PPE standards: Clarity in a complex landscape
Appearances and claims to the contrary, South Africa’s PPE industry “is largely unregulated, and a high percentage of PPE on the market is not compliant with official standards”, uvex Safety SA MD Christo Nel said, “and that’s a problem at many levels, and for the entire value chain”.He said the fundame ...moreMaking fall protection practical
Working at height is, by its nature, potentially dangerous. But only potentially. Properly planned and executed, working at height is safe. However, accidents and injuries are common.Part of the problem is that many – most – businesses do fall protection plans as tick box exercises. Industry can help by planning correctly, whi ...moreProtecting the workforce: The critical role of PPE
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is utilised in a work-environment as part of a larger prevention plan, because on its own protection is limited and may even provide a false sense of protection.An occupational disease prevention plan must be an actionable approach that identifies workplace health hazards, evaluates exposure, and i ...more
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