Fiorentini + Baker has announced it will present the forthcoming A/W 2010 collection at London Fashion Week. This will be the first time the Italian based shoe designer has exhibited at LFW. The decision is part of a continuing expansion plan to bring the Fiorentini + Baker philosophy to the UK, following the success of its Westbourne Grove boutique, launched in June 2009.

London born designer, Deborah Baker comments on the decision to exhibit at LFW – “It seems the right time to get involved with London Fashion Week, having previously always presented collections in Milan and Paris. We want to make the collection available to a wider, UK based audience and feel that LFW is the best option to achieve that.”

Staff from across the fashion industry are teaming up to support leading overseas aid agency CARE International by taking part in the Prima Solutions Adventure Challenge, supported by Footwear Today, on 22 May.

The challenge, taking place in Exmoor National Park, will see teams hike, bike and canoe a marathon distance in ten hours. It’s a demanding task, but efforts are worthwhile- all funds raised will support CARE’s work helping 59 million people in 70 countries find a route out of poverty.

INTERSPORT, the most distinctive of the buying group brands, hosted its Q3 2010 show on January 6^th and 7th at Cranmore Park, Solihull. The event was held in the teeth of the worst wintry conditions for 30 years; yet, snow blizzards, widespread ice and sub-zero temperatures couldn’t freeze the vibrant atmosphere of energy and enthusiasm that prevailed at the show. Undaunted, members and suppliers showed great enterprise as they made their way, across the deep freeze that was Britain, to attend one of the most successful of the INTERSPORT shows.

With significant growth experienced for the autumn 2009 season, total volumes in the UK and Ireland more than doubled, Romika is on a firm footing for continued success with it’s new autumn 2010 collection.

Martin Ingram, managing director of Romika in the UK and Ireland attributes this success to a number of key ingredients. “A heritage of superb fitting lasts, resilient PU injection construction and comfort built in at every level of shoemaking is a great place to start. Add to this progressive and desirable design and top quality infrastructure in production, distribution and marketing and you have a recipe for success!

In the Autumn of 2006 FIDELIO® launched its first HALLUX FIDELIO® collection, a range of sophisticated sandals incorporating an ingenious stretch insert for bunions. From the outset this collection was a great success and we were able to win many newcustomers. Since then many retailers have suggested that we add a ladies loafer, with the ingenious stretch insert for bunions, to this collection. In April 2009, having carried out extensive market research, we started working on the “Hallux Loafer” project. Building upon our „FIDELIO® philosophy“ we developed a combination last in width H that incorporates a slimmer heel. This last was continually adapted and improved until it was perfected. Over the last 5 months we have worked intensively, making, discarding, improving and perfecting countless samples.

Norwich based Van Dal footwear is leading the way in AW10 with a collection of authentic themes aimed at bringing comfort to recession hit women. 

In AW09 the British manufacturer was the worlds first women’s brand to launch ion-mask, a revolutionary nano technology which repels dirt and water, in its Van Dal TLC collection.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2010

In AW10 the company follows this with a collection of shoes built around 4 themes which showcase the seasons must have look with the latest comfort enhancing features.

There is a hint of western in ‘Rawhide’, a homage to Van Dal’s own history of fine shoe making in ‘Heritage’ (they have manufactured in Norwich since 1936 and still do), a softer return to the authentic femininity of ‘Ribbons & Bows’ and finally the ultimate in winter comfort with ‘Arctic Chic’. Each collection perfect for the Van Dal consumer, each the epitome of comfort, style and great quality footwear.

The global footwear market is expected to grow by an annual average rate of 4.5% in value between 2009 and 2013, with the luxury segment enjoying the strongest pace over the period.

This rather optimistic forecast was presented by at the annual convention last month of Anci, the Italian footwear industry association. It was based on research conducted by Corporate Value Associates (CVA) in behalf of Anci.

After the disappointment of the Anti Dumping Duty ruling going unexpectedly against earlier indications and the duties being continued to April 2011, the pre-Christmas trading performance was encouraging. This is reflected in the comments below from some of our members who were asked to give their thoughts for this New Year: Stuart Lamb of William Lamb said 2010 will be a tough & competitive marketplace for all products including footwear. As consumers face higher taxes, continuing wage freezes and the constant threat of job losses, this will inevitably lead to caution in retail spending. Consequently, consumers will look for all round value and quality in buying their shoes.

I sit down to write this as the legions are gathering at Copenhagen to reduce humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions and halt global warming which will shortly destroy the planet.

Actually it will not destroy the planet which has gone through much bigger crises than this one, but we can be pretty sure we humans will not be on it much longer if we go on as we are. Whether this is a good idea depends which side of the bed I got out of this morning, but on the whole I’d like us to stay around – there are a lot of nice people I’d miss.

In the back to school rush at the start of each term, shoe shops all over the country are heaving with parents and children intent on buying school shoes. Yet many school children are wearing shoes that are either too small or unsuitable, despite the associated risks of deformity and injury caused by such footwear.

According to a recent YouGov survey for the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists (SCP), more than three quarters of women and two thirds of men suffer from foot problems, yet nearly half have never sought medical advice about them. Experts agree that around 70% of foot problems in adults can be attributed to ill-fitting shoes worn in childhood.

A new fashionable comfort shoe range, which is exciting and vibrant, yet has properties engineered to aid posture and ensure total comfort, is now available for those on their feet all day.

Called Alegria, the shoes come with an extra depth insole which contours to the foot with a memory foam and cork bed which is fully removable for custom orthotics, yet slots in perfectly to maintain stability. The lightweight outsole has a mild rocker formation which takes away the impact pressure from heels and mid-foot.

Well, it does when it comes to shoes! At Footwear Today we find when we are sent shoes to road test that a size 10 from one manufacturer can be size nine or size 11 from another manufacturer. Half sizes aren’t available in continental shoes, which only exacerbates the problem. We pitched some questions to Laura West, Secretary of the Society of Shoe Fitters, to find out her views:

Q: On what is the shoe sizing system in this country based?

A: The English size scale was based on barleycorns – but even barleycorns can be different sizes! Both English and Continental sizing are predominantly used in the UK, and because of the number of imports having overtaken British manufacture, continental sizes are now the most commonly used size scale.  

When the organisers of last year’s Trade Unions Congress set the conference agenda for Liverpool they could never have envisaged the media attention generated by the debate which was designed to discuss the merits, ethics and consequences to their physical well being of women who are expected to wear high heels in the workplace.

The debate not only gained a massive number of column inches with accompanying images in both the broad sheets and tabloids but also received saturation coverage on national TV and radio.  Who said that the footwear industry was at the bottom of the pile when it comes to the media spotlight?

Leading overseas development agency CARE International is delighted to announce the launch of the fifth Prima Solutions Adventure Challenge, exclusively for the fashion and fashion retail industry.

This challenge, which is supported by Footwear Today, will take place in the stunning Exmoor National Park on 22nd May 2010. Teams from across the industry will hike, bike and canoe the distance of a marathon in a day. 

Tell us about your company history and your brand/lines?

SOLE was established in 2000, with the launch of our first custom footbed, the SOLE Softec Ultra. Our goal was to develop a superior footbed, at a price anyone could afford.  Since then, we've introduced seven additional footbeds, performance-based socks, and an outstanding line-up of orthopaedic sandals.

How did SOLE Custom Footbeds evolve? Who designed them – where, when and why? What’s the story behind the brand?

Edge Marketing Corporate, SOLE's parent company, humbly started by manufacturing and selling the “Pro-Edger” gardening tool. In the late 1990's, SOLE CEO Mike Baker and former VP Tom Taylor discovered “heat mouldable” insole technology. After seeing the opportunity for an over-the-counter heat mouldable footbed, they partnered with Dr. Benno Nigg, Director of the Human Performance Lab at the University of Calgary.

How far can employers go to check the criminal background of a prospective employee? This issue has come under the spotlight recently, in the wake of claims that police are keeping records for too long and handing over too much information to prospective employers. Here we look at some frequently asked questions on criminal records including: How far can you go to check up on job applicants? What if a candidate lies about their criminal history? What should you do if an employee is charged with or convicted of a criminal offence?

As the capital prepares to become the international fashion focus for buyers and retailers alike, Pure London springs into season introducing new sections within the footwear and accessory areas, creating a vibrant new atmosphere and providing visitors with a more effective and enjoyable buying experience.

With the largest ever collection of accessories and footwear on the Upper Level, Pure London is the ultimate one stop shop! This February the Footwear Hall unveils a new look splitting the brands into three areas, New to Pure Footwear, Trend Led and Design Led, allowing buyers to source collections more easily.