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WF NEWS
2
SOUTH AFRICA
UK footwear
firm Fitflop has launched its
children’s collection in South Africa
at select retailers. Children prefer to
walk and play barefoot, the
company says, claiming that the
‘Subaflex’ surface midsole in the
new range will enable them to
have that feeling while cushioning
their feet and absorbing shock on
hard surfaces like pavements.
ZIMBABWE
The Zimbabwe
Revenue Authority (Zimra) has
introduced 40% import duty on
footwear. Shoes were previously
included among the goods a
person was allowed to bring in
duty-free once in a calendar
month. Zimra said: “Travellers
who wish to import footwear will
benefit from the reduced rates
that were implemented with
effect from 1 January 2011.”
GERMANY
ASICS Europe has
reported an overall net sales increase
of 21% for the first quarter of 2011. It
said the growth was a result of
running footwear posting one of the
highest sales figures in recent years
with turnover rising by 34%; the key
performance running market,
Germany, posted particularly
outstanding figures.
MEXICO
Concerns about the effect on jobs in Mexico’s footwear industry from the lifting of tariffs on shoe imports from
China at the end of this year have prompted industry organisations there to bring their statistics up to date. Throughout
Mexico, 7,981 companies are involved in footwear production. Of these, 3,394 are based in and around the city of León in the
state of Guanajuato. Industry leaders in Guanajuato have said León’s footwear industry could lose as many as 35,000 jobs
when the tariffs on Chinese imports are lifted.
UNITED KINGDOM
Sports
footwear brand ASICS teamed up
with taxi and courier firm Addison
Lee in August to launch London’s
first ever running courier service
for a trial period. A team of highly
trained athletes became the most
environmentally friendly couriers in
the city, delivering small packages
and parcels across central London,
running all the way. A percentage
of all proceeds customers paid
went to the Red Cross.
ITALY
Italy’s tanning machinery
manufacturers’ association, Assomac, held its
annual general meeting at the end of June and
elected Giovannie Bagini of the Sabal Group as
its president for the next two years. Gabriella
Marchioni Bocca of blade manufacturer
Lamebo was elected vice-president.
Speakers at the meeting said Italy’s exports of
machinery for making leather, leathergoods
and footwear represented 50% of the world
market, followed by China with 18%, Taiwan
with 13%, South Korea 8%, Germany 5%, Spain
3%, Brazil 2% and Turkey 1%.
For tanning machinery, Italian companies’
output accounts for 70% of the world market,
Assomac members said.
SPAIN
The Spanish Footwear
Industry Federation (FICE) has
announced that the country’s footwear
exports increased by 12.1% in volume
and 13.1% in value in the first half of
the year compared to the first six
months of 2010. Around 80% of
overseas sales of Spanish shoes were
to other countries in the European
Union, with increases of 17.7% in Italy,
15.2% in the UK, 8.8% in France, 8.3%
in Germany and 5.1% in Portugal.
Japan, the biggest Asian market for
Spanish footwear brands, registered
an increase of 43.4%.