S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol91 No9 September 2025
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Interview
- Puma: Holding on to its market gains – just – planning more local production, but a declining independent retail sector – MD Luke Barrett-Smith answers our questions.
07 Footwear Education
- In the first of a series, Richard Kushlick explains the difference between the degradation of crepe rubber and PU soles, and how to prevent both.
11 News
- Malawi: Imports and forex issues stifle local leather sector.
- Shoet3ch opens Pinetown office.
- UK trends: M&S autumn ranges.
15 Insights by Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Asia tightens its grip on global footwear, but risks loom.
- Can India’s Uttar Pradesh become the next global footwear hub?
17 Noticeboard
- The Life of Brian: Back in the day: When overseas travel was a real trip. All work and no play would have made me a dull boy, writes Brian Zyster.
- Obituary: Colin Pedlar, Reflex Footwear – whatever he did, he did calmly, thoroughly, and well, by Rudi le Roux.
Advertisers in this Issue
Arena Trims (12), Bolton Footwear (02, 04), East Asian Import & Export (18), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (06), Haesloop Agencies (14), Kaytex Belts (10), Leather Finishing Products (16), Palm Footwear/Trustees (OFC), Saddler Belts (13), SAFLEC (15), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (11), Shotland Packaging (20).
- Puma: Holding on to its market gains – just – planning more local production, but a declining independent retailer sector
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Puma – along with Adidas, its arch rival here, globally and in their joint hometown, Herzogenaurach – has a long history in South Africa.Next year marks 25 years of Puma Sports SA (Pty) Ltd as a wholly owned subsidiary of Puma SE, following a decade or more under licensee Jagsports. “It&rsq ...moreA guide for retailers and distributors on how to advise customers to avoid sole degradation
Richard Kushlick runs footwear education and training programmes for all tiers of the industry (https://footweareducation.co.za/).Starting this month, he will write columns on various topical subjects for S&V. In this issue, he covers a complaint which retailers often face from consumers – sole degradation in soles made from cre ...moreShoet3ch opens Pinetown office
Pinetown, KZN, SA – 6 months after the closure of Shoetech Engineering, its successor company, Shoet3ch Consumables (Pty) Ltd, has opened premises back in Pinetown.“This is of course a business decision,” said Shoet3ch director Nicky Hawkins, daughter of the late Shoetech owner, Eckehard Schumann, “but it’s a ...moreThe Life Of Brian: Back in the day, when overseas travel was a real trip: All work and no play would have made me a dull boy…
I'm going to be very discreet with the following article. Some of the persons described here could possibly be alive and still employed in the industry [Almost certainly, Brian. Only the good die young. – Ed.]. However, I'm not trying to embarrass anyone but just having a laugh at what happened during those overseas trips.Some ...moreObituary: Colin Pedlar – Reflex Footwear (Pty) Ltd (08/04/1946-18/07/2025) : Whatever he did, he did calmly, thoroughly, and well
I met Colin Pedlar for the first time when we had the opportunity to take over a production plant in Lesotho.It was quite a daunting prospect starting a new business in a foreign country.Colin was very involved right from the start and tackled every hurdle calmy, from negotiating with the Lesotho Government to moving machinery to Lesotho. ...moreMalawi: Imports, forex stifle local leather sectorThe Malawi Leather Industry Association says it is struggling to meet the annual demand for shoes, producing only 200 000 pairs against demand of 15.5 million, largely due to competition from imports and forex shortages hindering raw material imports.Data from Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute (Smedi), which is championin ...moreAsia tightens its grip on global footwear, but risks loomAmerican shoemaker New Balance has shipped its first export consignment from its manufacturing hub in Tamil Nadu, marking India’s growing role in global footwear supply chains. At the same time, Japanese giant ASICS is increasing local production in India from 30% to 40% to comply with the country’s new Bur ...moreCan India’s Uttar Pradesh become the next global footwear hub?The state of Uttar Pradesh has approved a new footwear policy aimed at building a smooth chain that goes from design to delivery — covering ideas, production, training, and exports. The plan focuses on traditional hubs like Agra and Kanpur while pushing investment into less-developed regions such as&nbs ...more
PRICE:TBA
PRICE:TBA
PRICE:TBA
Footwear Industry Articles
- An 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 ...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 ...moreWayne's Phambili range: Practical boots from non-safety to full protection
Roodepoort, Gauteng, SA – Wayne's Phambili range combines everyday comfort, dependable durability and clearly defined levels of protection in a practical range of PVC work boots. Developed for demanding working environments, the 3-boot lineup makes it easy to choose the protection best suited to the job while delivering the comfort ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Zimbabwe Leather Development Council lobbies for Government contracts
The Zimbabwe Leather Development Council (ZLDC) is lobbying policymakers to open up public procurement contracts to local leather manufacturers, arguing that Government contracts are essential to reviving the country’s struggling leather value chain.Speaking on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo (ZIC ...moreOBLIQUITY
Shareholder value is usually the result of running a good business, not a reliable operational principle for running one ...moreThe leather value chain offers opportunities for all SADC countriesThe Southern African Regional Leather Network (SARLEN) and the SADC Leather Forum present a great opportunity for the development of the leather value chains (LVCs) in all or most SADC states, whose LVCs are at different stages of development.in Zimbabwe we already have a well-structured LVC coordinated by an apex body, the Zimbabwe Leath ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- More precise fire extinguishing from the air using simulation and sensor data
Wildfires are becoming more frequent and more intense worldwide. Fires often become infernos due to heat, drought and wind, especially in the summer. The problem is compounded by the climate crisis. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM and the startup CAURUS Technologies GmbH are responding to this growi ...morePerformance testing: Building credibility in the modern apparel and footwear market
The lines between protective wear, sportswear, outdoor apparel, wellness clothing and everyday fashion continue to blur. Consumers increasingly expect garments and footwear to deliver more than style alone. Whether purchasing workwear, running apparel, outdoor footwear, school shoes or everyday casual products, buyers now look for comfort ...moreCONSIDERING A PPE MATRIX
What Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) do we need to have on site to reduce and manage the workplace and environmental exposure risks to our employees?Safety and mining legislation place the responsibility on employers to ensure that they provide and maintain working environments that are safe and without risk to the health on employees ...more
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