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PRODUCTS & SERVICES WF

Folding boots idea proves popular A dvances in material technology have allowed the Bacup Shoe Company, based in Lancashire, to produce a folding wellington boot. The company produces the Redfoot range of folding shoes.

Its new material is called Spacetex XZ5 and the company has applied for patent protection.

“We identified a gap in the market for a properly usable waterproof boot that has our trademark ability to fold up into a small, easy to transport package,” said managing director, Steven Smith. “This is not possible with rubber as it is either too thick to fold or too thin to stand up by itself like a proper welly.

“We needed a material that had sufficient strength to retain its shape, that was totally waterproof and could be folded down. We couldn’t find one so we decided to develop it ourselves. After quite a lot of experimentation we have come up with a combination of textile and rubber laminated together in a completely new way.

We have also developed a unique, advanced, manufacturing process with our partners in China where the boots are made.”

He said a trial run of 5,000 pairs had sold out in days and that the company now faces "a substantial backlog of orders" to fulfil.

Jones Group buys Kurt Geiger for $350m U S apparel and footwear retailer, the Jones Group, has announced that it has acquired UK-based footwear retailer Kurt Geiger, from Graphite Capital, a UK mid-market private equity firm, for approximately $350 million (£215 million) in cash, inclusive of debt acquired.

Kurt Geiger will serve as Jones’ base in Europe. The company has stated that it expects to achieve significant revenue synergies by leveraging the combined networks of partners, infrastructure and strong department store relationships to expand product distribution worldwide. On a trailing 12-month basis ended April 30, 2011, Kurt Geiger reported net revenues of

approximately $332 million (approximately £205 million). The Kurt Geiger management team remains in place. Neil Clifford will continue as CEO; Rebecca Farrar Hockley will remain buying and creative Director; and Dale Christilaw will continue as finance director for the Kurt Geiger team.

Wesley R Card, the Jones Group CEO, said: “This transaction is about pursuing opportunities to optimise our portfolio and establishing a strong foothold in Europe. The addition of Kurt Geiger to Jones is consistent with our strategy of identifying companies with best-in-class talent and proven brands that have the potential for substantial growth. We have the utmost respect for Neil and have got to know the team well over the years as our distribution partner for Nine West in the UK. We welcome them to Jones.”

Richard Dickson, the Jones Group president and CEO of Branded Businesses, said: “Our mission is to build the most powerful portfolio of brands in fashion. As part of our framework for growth, we are optimising our existing portfolio and launching new brands to create value. Kurt Geiger’s portfolio of premier footwear, exceptional brand management and best-in-class product expertise makes it an ideal complement to our business and long-term goals. By leveraging our deep retail networks worldwide, there is substantial opportunity to grow Jones’ revenue base internationally and to introduce Kurt Geiger’s brands to the US. We look forward to collaborating with Kurt Geiger’s leading design and merchant talents, who will be instrumental to the rollout of our mission.”

Kurt Geiger distributes owned brands, including Kurt Geiger, Carvela and KG, and licensed brands, including Nine West, French Connection and Lipsy, in 49 company-operated retail locations and department stores. In addition, Kurt Geiger operates 156 multi-branded shoe concessions in 14 major department store groups including Harrods, Selfridges, House of Fraser and La Rinascente. Since its management buyout in 2008 (backed

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New tape allows Paiho to offer changeable soles for shoes

T aiwanese manufacturer of hook-and-loop systems and reflective material the Paiho Group has added a new footwear concept to its product offering.

The new product, Changeable Sole, can allow consumers to alter the use of a single shoe, say from golf footwear to a running shoe. The company first demonstrated the idea at ispo 2011 at the start of the year and, after it came through 100,000 iterations of a flex test at minus-40 degrees Celsius, Paiho has said that Changeable Sole will change product design in the footwear industry. Key to being able to change the sole of a shoe quickly and effectively is a new material called Easy Tape, which Paiho claims has more than 200% (1500 grammes per square-centimetre) more bonding performance and shear strength than earlier products. It also says Easy Tape peel strength is 40% higher at 350 grammes per square-centimetre.

Paiho has been producing its Trihook touch fasteners for 30 years. It has manufacturing bases in Taiwan, China and Vietnam, and, warehouses in North America and Spain. Footwear brands including Nike, Reebok and adidas, as well as garment companies like Columbia and Nautica, use Trihook touch fasteners.