The world’s largest graduate fashion show, Graduate Fashion Week, this year welcomes the University of Northampton which is sending its strongest line up of student designers, encompassing the leather heritage that has made Northampton world famous.    On Tuesday 4 June at Earl’s Court 2, the University of Northampton students who have been working all year to complete collections will underline the importance the rich history of Northampton’s leather industry has played in the minds of many of the student’s new concepts in shoe design and leather designs.

A DATE AT RIVA DEL GARDA WITH THE SPRING/SUMMER 2014 COLLECTIONS  From June 15th to 18th the appointment with Expo Riva Schuh once again returns, celebrating its first 80 editions based on a strong international calling and the desire to continue on the crest of the wave of the last edition, which closed with great satisfaction for the results achieved, both in terms of quantity and also for the quality of business which was developed.

The UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) has announced a dramatic increase in funding for UK exporters to take part in key international trade shows. In the financial year 2013/4 and 2014/5, UKFT has received a commitment from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) to almost double the amount of money available. Grants for European shows will increase from £1000 to £1500 per show and exhibitors at key US shows will see grants almost double to £2000. For shows in Europe and the US, UK SME companies will have a lifetime allocation of 6 grant supported shows. In addition, for shows in emerging markets, such as China, Hong Kong and Russia, companies will be eligible for a further 6 grants and for these markets the grants will range from £2500 to £3000.

The British Footwear Association (BFA) has announced the appointment of John Saunders in the new role of Sales and Marketing Director. John, 55, has over 30 years experience in the footwear industry, having worked internationally and in export with SSL/ Scholl at director level and in senior roles with US company Brown Shoe Corporation, Florida Group and Start-rite.

Government data on Flying Saucers explains the national obsession of looking for lost socks. Recent reports made public from the National Archive have shown an increasing number of UFO sightings over the United Kingdom since the Second World War; which high-level defence, weather and technology experts have gone to great lengths to explain.  However, the rise of 'flying saucer' sightings has a direct correlation to the steady increase of lost socks over the last decades, which Ministry of Defence officials have been quite unable - or unwilling - to explain, Britain's hardest-working sock subscription service has found out.

Chatham Marine is delighted to announce it has signed up to join Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week’s family of event sponsors as Official Footwear Sponsor to the regatta. Award-winning Chatham Marine combines very British styling and traditional craftsmanship with innovative design to create deck shoes that appeal to today’s sailors, and is ideally matched with this iconic British sailing event

Shooze With Sole, a children's and adults footwear company from Ayrshire, has won 35k as one of 20 finalists in the Government’s Scottish Edge Fund. The award was opened in November last year to companies who had the potential to expand, increase sales and employ staff. Shooze With Sole began in March 2012 and currently has stores in Ayr, Kilmarnock and Troon. The company now employs 13 staff, 2 of them who were previously unemployed through the local council modern apprentice scheme.

Date: 1 March 2013, Place: UK. The Italian shoe & fashion brand Geox and W.L. Gore & Associates havereached an agreement and declared an end to their current disputes regardingcertain GEOX patents in respect of GORE-TEX® Footwear with Gore’s SURROUND™ Product Technology. The agreement reached also resolves all legal disputes between Geox and Gore brand partners and retailers. The disputes had been triggered by the launch of Gore's SURROUND™ Product Technology, which was followed by legal measures in several European countries to secure the intellectual property.

The three ages of an agent (with apologies to Titian)
and Why taking back exclusive rights from a distributor may not be such a smart move

Redundant stock can make a huge difference to the lives of those living below the poverty line in communities in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. WJR’s Gifts in Kind provides humanitarian aid directly from the UK to communities in need, normally within weeks. The goods are arranged, sorted and re-packed in our warehouse. We then ship containers to communities in desperate need. At the other end, they are distributed under the strict supervision of professional, locally based community workers. The items are not sold but go straight to those who need them.

The Society of Shoe Fitters has announced that it will be launching National Shoe Fitting Week, under the banner Keep Feet ‘Fit’ on March ^25th 2013 – the week leading up to Easter. The SSF, which operates on a non-profit basis, wants to raise national awareness of importance have having footwear fitted, and the vital service independent shoe retailers provide to the public.  We want the public to start thinking about their feet and how they buy their shoes. We are hoping that ALL shoe retailers, not just SSF members, will join us in promoting Keep Feet ‘Fit’ and that they can use this initiative to create their own promotion’s leading up to Easter week – a time traditionally when the media write about feet and footwear and people discard their boots and start thinking shoes, sandals and holidays. Hopefully it will give the trade a much needed kick-start after the cold, wet weather.

• Azkar generated revenue of EUR 367 million in 2011 and employed a staff of over 3,000
• Successful partnership since 2007
• Acquisition strengthens Dachser’s pan-European overland transport network

Have you nominated yet? The Footwear Industry Awards is calling on ALL members of the footwear trade to nominate a retailer or supplier/brand for an award at the 2013 event. You can nominate someone else, or your own company - multiple nominations are allowed via one simple online form.  But be quick! The 30th November deadline will soon be upon us. You can nominate online by clicking HERE or by post; simply download the nomination form and send it back to us.

On 29 November 2012 Fox Williams will be holding its annual agent law seminar. The seminar will be held at its offices at Ten Dominion Street, London, EC2M 2EE.  Registration will be from 6.00 pm with the talks starting at 6.30 pm followed by drinks and canapés starting at 8.00 pm. There is no charge for attending the seminar. The full line up of topics and speakers are:

A staggering 84% of the small-to-medium sized fashion enterprises (SMEs) that were surveyed by independent online and mobile research agency, OnePoll, did not have a mobile site, but 89% believed mCommerce to be essential to the future success of their business. 

UGG Australia is launching limited-edition footwear, available exclusively in UGG Australia stores, to support UK breast cancer charity, The Haven. The specially-designed raspberry-hued Classic Short and baby-pink Ansley, both embroidered with a pink ribbon, will be available to purchase at UGG Australia stores including Piccadilly, Knightsbridge, Manchester, Covent Garden and Westfield London as well as online at uggaustralia.co.uk during October 2012. This marks the first year of UGG Australia’s partnership with The Haven and is part of a global campaign to support October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month.

GIOSEPPE FOOTWEAR, Spanish brand of young fashionable shoes for the middle
market, is looking for UK agents See Footwear Today Recruitment Section

FRANKLIN, TN – March 2012 marked the one year anniversary for the flagship Mephisto Shop in New York.  Exceeding sales projections by 37%, it proved to be an expected success.  “We never doubted that this was a smart move for us to make for the Mephisto brand”, stated Rusty Hall, President and CEO for Mephisto, Inc. “We knew New York was the right market for us to launch our U.S. flagship store and the location has proven to be the perfect place to showcase our Mephisto collection”, he added. Located at 1040 3^rd Avenue, inTrumpPlaza, the Mephisto Shop has experienced consistent, substantial growth in sales every month since opening.

A recent collaboration between Northampton Museums and Art Gallery, The University of Northampton, Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership and Northamptonshire County Council has secured funding to work towards the establishment of an International Footwear Foundation to be based in Northamptonshire.

Independent shoe shop Doris & Daisy has been recognised by winning through to the finals of the prestigious Dorset Business Awards. The Wimborne based shop, which is fast building an outstanding reputation for the quality and range of their shoes has won through to the final of the Retail Excellence Award.

Chatham announces the appointment of two key new members of staff and a considerable promotion. Joining Chatham is new sales director, Ian O'Connor, product and marketing assistant, Kathryn Lythgoe and Alex Peirce, former product and marketing assistant, has been promoted to regional sales manager.

The Wortmann Group, based in Detmold, continued on its course of growth despite the flagging economic situation in the fiscal year 2011/12 (31^st May) and was able to increase sales by 4.3% to EUR 999.3 million (GBP 851.2 million). The previous year saw total sales of EUR 957.7 million. The export quota rose slightly to 52.9% (previous year 52.7%). Among the foreign markets,Russia, theCzechRepublic,Switzerland and theBenelux countries in particular saw above average growth. While the domestic market also enjoyed growth, the difficult economic situation inGreat Britain andIreland led to a fall in sales there. The Asian private label business Novi Footwear, based in Hong Kong andSingapore and with overseas customers, was unable to match the sales of the previous year and had to deal with a drop in sales last year. The Wortmann Group’s collections are sold in over 70 countries and over 15,000 shoe shops worldwide.

Footwear Friends, the footwear industry charity, has announced the sixth year of its prestigious Annual Awards aimed at recognising and helping develop British Design and Entrepreneurial talent. The Awards include substantial cash prizes and probably more importantly a 12-month mentoring programme by senior individuals in the footwear industry. Entry is open to people in the following categories who are determined to build a footwear career in the UK.

Leading casual and outdoor footwear and clothing brand Chatham has agreed a sponsorship deal with eventing champion and future Olympic hopeful, Emma Hyslop. Impressed with the comfort and style of Chatham’s footwear and how practical the clothing is, event rider Emma has chosen Chatham as her preferred brand, to train in and wear when she’s out and about. 

Opening times: 9.00 am to 6.00 pm. RENAISSANCE MANCHESTER HOTEL, BLACKFRIARS STREET, MANCHESTER, M3 2EQ. TEL.0161 831 6015 Multi storey car park next door to hotel. Showing: Sachelle Couture, Vanilla Moon,Olga Berg, Cara London, Caprice.  Zoe & Brian Agencies Ltd

The exclusive UK and Ireland distribution rights for Ipanema, Rider and Grendha have been appointed to G.H Warner Footwear Ltd, effective for the Spring Summer 2013 season.The three brands, produced by Brazil’s largest producer of footwear, Grendene, have enjoyed success since their launch to the UK market.  The premium summer footwear ranges are manufactured in Brazil using 100% recyclable, mould-injected PVC, creating the most comfortable and sustainable flip flops and sandals on the UK market.

On 10 October Fox Williams LLP, Solicitors will be holding its annual Fashion law seminar, which is free of charge. The seminar will be held at Ten Dominion Street, London EC2M 2EE. Registration will be from 6.00 pm with the talks starting at 6.30 pm and lasting for one hour followed by drinks and canapés. The full line up of topics and speakers are: "Investing in Brand Businesses" For the investee business - what are the potential benefits apart from the cash? What is the investment process? And what are the pitfalls, and how to avoid them. (Speaker is Tom Rowley who is a corporate law senior associate at Fox Williams).

 
Berlin stays the home base of BREAD & BUTTER – tradeshow for selected brands. With its return in July 2009, BREAD & BUTTER has permanently strengthened Berlin as a fashion location. Since then, the Fashion Week Berlin has strongly gained relevance in the competition with the international fashion capitals such as Paris, Milan and New York. Berlin's dynamics are not comparable to those of any other city. Berlin as a fashion location is clearly on a tear, is clearly way out in front. As a result, the professional visitor cannot manage Berlin in the course of three days anymore. "As the international leading tradeshow, we have a responsibility towards the industry and towards Berlin", says president Karl-Heinz Müller. "Therefore, it is our duty to counteract this situation by offering a solution."

Chatham will launch its new sail cloth G2 Professional deck shoes at MODA.  Chatham’s innovative use of the material makes it the first sail cloth deck shoe for the British market. Chatham has designed four styles using Contender sail cloth, two for men – Fibercon and Contender – and two for women – Elysse and Beam. Sail cloth is a tough compound that handles well. It’s an exceptionally lightweight, water resistant and durable material, making it the perfect textile for use in deck shoes. All styles are built on the sole kit used for the successful Schooner and Sloop deck shoes launched last year.

(London, England – 18th July 2012) – THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR WALKING AND THAT’S JUST WHAT THEY’LL DO is the perfect lyric to describe THE CICCONE COLLECTION. Bringing his creative flair usually reserved for the more classic arts, painting, photography, art direction as well as interior and furniture design, Christopher Ciccone is now making his foray into footwear design. Melding breakout materials with traditional styles for men, women and children, Ciccone has vowed to “think outside the shoe box.” Sure to make a splash at New York, London and Paris Fashion Weeks in the fall, Ciccone’s bespoke collection can brave the rain, but is certainly not limited to foul weather. Combining leather, rubber and canvas for the fashionable yet functional footwear, Ciccone’s vision is a welcome reprieve to the often un-wearable designs of late.

Colour is key for SS13 and the new Superfit collection is full of vibrancy and details which children and parents will love. New styles have been added to provide stockists with a range of shoes for SS13 which will be just perfect for all adventures that children pursue. The collection is for children of all ages with all footwear being produced in sizes 18 – 43. Superfit  will be presenting the SS13 Collection at the following Footwear Fairs & Stockrooms

New season, new look from LEGeRO. The SS13 collection features 5 new styles to give the most comprehensive casual comfort collection from LEGeRO to date. If you are looking for Sneakers, Pumps, Heeled Sandals or Lifestyle Trainers, LEGeRO SS13 can offer them all. Block colour is a key trend once again in SS13 and is a main feature of the collection. Soft Nubuck, Nappa and sporty Technical fabrics are combined to give a modern look to the Uppers. The sole units are direct injection PU to enable LEGeRO to offer a lightweight flexible shoe.  All styles are produced in UK sizes 4 – 9 (including ½ sizes) and all shoes have a removeable insole.  

Step2wo has joined forces with The British Heart Foundation’s Mending Broken Hearts Appeal to create The Heart & Sole collection; a line of children’s shoes available exclusively at Selfridges from July.Three stylish mums, Rachel Stevens, Charlotte Church and Jasmine Guinness, have each designed unique shoes and boots for the collection. We had the pleasure of talking to them about the cause, their inspirations and their shoe collections. 

Under the Distance Selling Regulations, which apply to all sales to consumers at a distance (e.g. online shopping), consumers must be given some basic information, including that they have rights to cancel their order and get a refund. The ECJ has ruled that it is not enough to just place those rights on a website and provide a hyperlink - which many retailers do - and that consumers must actively "receive" this information rather than just be told where to access it online.  The new ruling means that retailers cannot be certain that they have actually banked the cash for a sale for three months, because a consumer could change their mind and ask for a refund at any time during that period.  

Starting today, Superfeet Worldwide Inc. assumes responsibility for all its European distribution through a new operations centre in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Superfeet will also begin distributing its products and systems directly to retailers in the UK and Ireland.

Crocs, world leader in innovative casual footwear, has teamed up with leading taxi advertising company Ubiquitous, to deliver eye-catching ‘croc-skin’ designed cabs across London. The partnership will help Crocs springboard its brand campaign in front of a new audience across London during its 10th  Anniversity year. Crocs has outstanding brand awareness but has evolved over its 10 year history. This campaign aims to highlight this evolution by grabbing consumer attention, encouraging them to take a fresh look at Crocs. The brands global range now includes over 300 new trend-right styles to explore, all of which benefit from the same comfort and innovation found inside the brand’s iconic clog.

The 67^th Championship took place at the North Berwick Golf Club and the Glen Golf Club in Scotland, both with spectacular views over the Firth of Forth and the Bass rock. Nearly one hundred competitors braved the strong winds and rain over the three days of the Championship. The Trade Banquet on the Thursday night at the Marine Hotel raised a record amount of over £7000 on the night for the Trade Charities. Richard Kottler of Footwear Friends and William Tusting from the LHTBI received cheques from President Gordon A Wilson.

The story about Angulus begins with Willy Madsen. Or rather, it begins with Willy’s father who in 1904 opens a shoemakers workshop in Nørrebrogade in Copenhagen. Willy is a school teacher at first and quite content with his trade. It is only years later that he enters the story of his father’s company – it is Willy who in 1928 turns the shoe business upside down with the ergonomic Angulus shoe.

Charles Clinkard is set to add a new Gabor concession to Dublin’s largest department store, Arnotts. The Gabor collection will be available in Arnotts from 5^th June, offering the quality and style associated with the Gabor name. Arnotts was established in 1843 on Henry Street, and it is at this flagship store where the new Gabor concession will be found.

Innovative men’s footwear brand DISPAIR London has embarked on an exciting new collaboration with Depaul UK, the largest national youthhomelessness charity in the UK, to offer the opportunity for one young person to be a guest designer of a limited edition DISPAIR London shoe.

Channelling the knowledge of ground feel and connection which is so integral to the success of the Merrell Barefoot range, Merrell has innovated once again to introduce the M-Connect Series for Spring 2013, drawing on 30 years of leading outdoor performance. Designed for a new emerging segment of outside athletic consumers Merrell M-Connect will again drive incremental sales growth in the outdoor market.

Henderson, Nevada, June 12, 2012-pediped® footwear, a leading company in the children’s footwear industry, has appointed Matt Wright as Sales Director for the United Kingdom and Ireland region. With over 12 years of commercial experience in the footwear and fashion industry, he will work to develop UK-specific styling and new business opportunities in the UK market. Prior to this appointment, Wright was a Senior Sales Manager at GEOX, one of the world’s largest shoe manufacturers, where he played a pivotal role in the development of the brand’s presence in the UK. Wright graduated from the University of Plymouth in 2000 and began his career in the footwear industry at Clarks. “We are excited to add Matt to our team” said pediped® Managing Partner, Rudy Glocker. “He has earned an excellent reputation as a children’s footwear specialist and will help us drive the brand in the UK and Ireland. We are pleased to welcome Matt to the pediped® family.”

As the Grand Prix season is well underway please find below some new pictures of the Sahara Force India Formula One Team drivers wearing their Chatham boating shoes – the classic style Deck in chestnut, in fact it’s Chatham’s most popular deck shoe for the last 20 years. Leading British deck shoe brand Chatham Marine is the official provider of travel shoes to the Sahara Force India Formula One Team for the 2012 season. In total Chatham is fitting 93 members of the Sahara Force India Formula One team with deck shoes from its current footwear collection, with the classic style Deck in chestnut proving to be the favourite choice for travelling to and from races.  

Primal Lifestyle, official UK distributor and retailer of Vibram Fivefingers, is proud to announce the first ever BarefootConnections Conference to be held on 30th June 2012 at the Natural History Museum, London. The day will start with an optional barefoot 5K run starting and finishing in the main hall of the natural History Museum and will be followed by a series of talks discussing various aspects of the barefoot theory to include:

- A quick stroll through the world of Havaianas - Keep reading to embark on a journey through 50 years of Havaianas history. On the way, imagine yourself laughing, having fun and feeling a summer breeze on your skin. Feel great? That’s the essence of Havaianas. This year, the brand that brought summer shine and positive thinking to one and all turns 50. And life is good!

Prima Solutions, one of the UK’s leading providers of complete multi-channel business solutions for the clothing, footwear and accessories sector has launched its new website! The website (www.primasolutions.co.uk), which officially went live on Thursday 24th May 2012, focuses on individual solutions for businesses working within: footwear, clothing, bags/accessories, sports/leisure, workwear/corporate and contract

GRS Footwear, the ‘Lunar’ brand owner & UK distributor of Italy’s leading trekking brand, Grisport, has seen sales rocket - even during the current difficult trading conditions. The improved ‘in-stock’ service has proved to be so popular this season that the UK distributor is making a substantial investment to expand its new warehouse complex, effectively doubling space, to meet the needs of an ever-expanding customer base.

To support the Walking with the wounded, I and 8 others walked 100km to Brighton from London on May 12th.  All of us made it to 75km. 6 of us made it all the way. Sadly we have to announce the loss 16 toe nails, 8 yards of skin and the ability to walk normally. But we did it! One participant was asked “where were you when the sun rose?” “In my own personal hell.” He replied. www.justgiving.com/London2Brighton-Challenge Rob SewellCocoon partnersArt, Gant, Le Chameau, Manas, Maruti and Neosens  footwear.07774 722757Fax 0208 286 2458 Showroom Olympic house (CWF)317-321 Latimer road LONDONW10 6RA

In my last column I was hoping for a hot – or even warm summer – not much luck so far I am sad to say, and as the last edition was just prior to MODA, I was also hoping to meet more of our members – fortunately I had better luck on that score! Thank you so much for coming up to say ‘hello’ to my husband Francis and I, it was lovely to meet you and chat about trade. We have since had our AGM and I embark on my second year in office – where does the time go? The Minutes of the meeting are available from our Secretary, so if you want to know how the SSF has performed over the past year, do request a copy. My address at the meeting was as follows:

Laceys Footwear are delighted to announce they are now the official UK distributor for Jeffrey Campbell, the fastest moving brand in footwear that everyone is talking about. The meteoric rise of the Jeffrey Campbell brand in the las 10 years is nothing short of amazing, it is currently available in 49 countries and rising. Jeffrey Campbell styles are being worn by pop stars and movie stars including Jessica Alba, Rihanna, Sarah Harding and Jessie J most recently on the VOICE and the Graham Norton show.

Snuguns are delighted to announce the launch of Grippa Socks. Supportive non-slip socks that protect, fit and support growing feet. Designed along the guidelines set out in “feet for life” by The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, Snuguns Grippa Socks provide great grip with maximum comfort and flexibility. Grippa Socks help with the care of babies and children’s feet during crucial growing stages, from six months to four years!

Are you an experienced shoe fitter but have not qualified as a member of The Society of Shoe Fitters?  What a pity, because we are always looking to promote staff and shops that do the job well and our members are well respected.  There has never been a better time to join us - you need every possible achievement to retain your customers and your staff in these tough times and with overwhelming competition.
 

Dachser is continuing to pursue its worldwide expansion course and established a joint venture in Malaysia at the beginning of May.  The services provided by Dachser Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. range from air and sea freight business to customs clearance and other logistics services. Via its new joint venture partner, the company is also able to offer special transports. It is planned in the short term to employ a staff of 15 for the joint venture between Dachser and the Malaysian entrepreneur Ah Seng Tan (holdings in Multitrans, Megalift). The head office and at the same time first branch office are located in Petaling Jaya, near the capital Kuala Lumpur. There are also plans to open a second branch office.

Wolverine Worldwide Inc announces that it along with Blum Capital Partners and Golden Gate Capital has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Collective Brands Inc. As part of the transaction, Wolverine will acquire Collective Brands’ Performance + Lifestyle Group (PLG), which consists of the Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Stride Rite and Keds brands. Adding these businesses to Wolverine’s existing portfolio, which is led by Merrell, Hush Puppies, Wolverine, Sebago and Caterpillar Footwear, amongst others.

Josef Seibel UK Ltd, agents of the Josef Seibel and Romika brands in the UK and Ireland, appoint to a newly created role of Brand Support Manager.   In order to support the continued growth of both the Josef Seibel and Romika brands in the UK and Ireland, the group has created a new role of Brand Support Manager. Lisa Vermeulen joined the Josef Seibel Group team on May 1^st bringing with her a wealth of experience in both the retail and wholesale footwear industry having held key positions with Clarks and most recently with the Florida Group where she developed the Pikolinos and Filippa Scott brands within the UK.

Rocket Dog Brands International Ltd, based in Elstree, is pleased to announce the appointments of three key personnel to drive sales for the footwear brand in the UK and across Europe. Alex Cloote is to join the popular footwear brand as EU Export Manager. Alex comes to Rocket Dog Brands International Ltd most recently from Blowfish footwear. With a valued knowledge of the female footwear industry in Europe, Alex will be an invaluable asset to increase awareness and sales of Rocket Dog footwear across the continent.

Under the creative direction of Karl Lagerfeld, one of the world’s most influential and iconic designers, KARL LAGERFELD is accelerating the development of its brand and business on a global level. KARL LAGERFELD announces appointments to its senior management based in the corporate headquarters in Amsterdam:
 

Each region has its defining elements; Northamptonshire’s towns and villages enjoy a unique shared heritage recognised internationally for its boot and shoe industries, evidenced through Northampton Museum and Arts Gallery (NMAG), which houses the largest collection of shoe heritage in the world and designated as being of national and international importance. Accessories and Footwear are two of the fastest growing areas of the global fashion industry. It is a significant part of Northamptonshire’s creative economy as both an industry but also in terms of its reputation for excellence.

The high-end footwear specialist launches its new, completely redesigned internet website www.mephisto.com. This new international window for the company and its banner brand Mephisto presents a modern design with easy-to-use navigation features. Emphasis is placed on presenting in a clear manner the men/women collections. Each style may be visualized from different angles, important details such as outsole profiles, material combinations and leather treatments may be enlarged for better viewing by a simple click. And to round off the presentations, a preview of accessories, leather goods and shoe care products is included.

In the first 6 month period (Autumn-Winter season from June 1^st to November 30^th) of the company’s current fiscal year 2011/2012 (31.05.), the Wortmann Group was able to increase their sales to € 503.1 million (GBP 431.1 million). In the same period last year, sales were at € 455.3 million. This is an increase of 10.5%. Present in-house orders indicate a consolidated growth for the entire fiscal year totaling € 995 million (GBP 850 million). The previous year total sales were at € 957.7 million. The export share is likely to grow to 54% (previous year at 52.7%). MainlyRussia developed well amongst the export markets, where Wortmann is represented with its own subsidiaries. AlsoFrance was very successful. While the German market increased,Great Britain andIreland sales decreased slightly. The Asian Private Label business of Novi Footwear with customers from overseas is likely to be behind the last year. Shoes of the Wortmann Group are sold in over 70 countries worldwide in over 15,000 shoe stores.

As the Grand Prix season gets underway, leading British deck shoe brand Chatham Marine announces it is the official provider of team travel shoes to the Sahara Force India Formula One Team for the 2012 season. Both stylish and functional,Chathamhas established its position as one ofBritain’s key marine footwear brands. The company's very British style combines traditional craftsmanship with innovation, durable materials and attention to detail.Chathamdeck shoes are well suited to life on the road and the busy demands of the Formula One travel schedule.

“We are proud to be able to present the best results in the company’s history. We increased turnover by DKK 1 billion compared with 2010, delivering a bottom line of DKK 904 million,” says Chief Operating Officer Michael Hauge Sørensen, who continues: “A lot of things went well for ECCO in 2011, but the year was not without challenges. The low point came when our factory and tannery in Thailand were hit by massive floods in October. But our employees pulled together and displayed tremendous determination and ability to get things up and running again. In terms of products, we were spot on with our collections, which were well received all over the world. This was of vital importance in our emerging strongly from 2011. ECCO will not be resting on its laurels, however. We will continue to develop new exciting products and focus on even better customer service.

March 15, 2012 – The Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) released today the association’s first-ever Annual Footwear Sourcing Forecast.  This groundbreaking analysis uses current statistical trends, import data and knowledge of the industry to provide companies with a view into the future of global footwear sourcing.  The combined volatility of consumer demand and raw material costs has created enormous challenges for footwear sourcing in recent years.  After nearly a decade of relying on a China-first, and often China-only, model, U.S. footwear companies are faced with a changing reality of higher prices, shortages in labor, increased compliance costs and unstable consumer demand. 

Last week saw six De Montfort University (DMU) Footwear Design students competing for a high profile commission by designing a pair of shoes for the Duchess of Cambridge. The designs were presented to the Duchess and The Queen when they visited the DMU campus in Leicester to celebrate the beginning of the Diamond Jubilee Tour of the UK.

“Rieker were honoured to be recognised twice at the inaugural Footwear Awards recently held during MODA. We were absolutely delighted to receive the award for Brand of The Year and Best Customer Service. The awards are extra special as the voting is directly from our customers themselves. I would very much like to thank all our customers who took the time to vote for us. We as a Company are constantly aiming each and every season to produce quality footwear that the consumer wants to buy, and we also aim to do this by providing the best customer service we can.”

“It’s always good to win any award, but in this case it’s particularly gratifying since the votes came from the industry rather than a panel of judges. An award should be looked at as a “snapshot” taken at a point in time – not as a laurel on which to rest. After 130 years of shoemaking, it’s nice to know that we’re doing something right and to get some formal recognition for it – but it won’t stop us trying to do even better!”

“We were delighted to win the award for Best Multiple retailer as the votes were from people in the industry who  know how hard the team at Clinkards work to offer a great level of service and selection of quality footwear. It is great recognition for the team that we have won and I would like to thank those people from the trade who kindly voted for us.”

The Society of Shoefitters would like to thank Datateam for putting together a fantastic event for the footwear industry, which without doubt will be another sell-out next year.   "The best thing about it was the equal mix of suppliers and retailers" said Laura West the Secretary, 'It really united the industry.  Awards dinners are normally prohibitively expensive and rather starchy and as Independent retailers are not having an easy time it would be impossible for most to attend.  However with this in mind Datateam managed to host an affordable, glitzy, relaxed and really fun event.  The predictable raffle was replaced with a Heads & Tails game and the wine flowed generously all evening.  It reminded me of shoe fair events twenty to thirty years ago. the trade was very supportive of one another and there was great camarderie between companies which of latter years had sadly dwindled, but this event certainly rekindled the 'feel good factor' and made the Moda Shoe Fair an even more enjoyable occasion'.

The Footwear Industry Awards, held on Sunday 19^th February 2012 to coincide with the Moda Show, at the Forest of Arden Hotel, 4 miles from Birmingham NEC, has been hailed as one of the best attended and most enjoyable awards events in the industry’s recent history. With over 220 guests it was a full house on the night! Tickets for event sold out a week before, with a waiting list for ‘no shows’.

Several ladies have contacted me this week asking for more information about the dress code for the Footwear Awards Event on Sunday 19^th February 2012. The dress code for the evening, described by the organisers as ‘lounge suit’, was intended to help provide a seamless transition for those exhibitors attending the Moda cocktail party immediately after the show, followed by the Awards Event.  But, it’s purely a matter of personal choice, many of us will be favouring formal dress. I’ll be wearing a full length evening gown, as will my advertising manager, Sue Wiseman, and my publication manager, John Andrews, will be in a DJ! I hope that helps.  Cheryl Taylor, Editor, Footwear Today Magazine.

The Awards Dinner will be held on Sunday 19th February and transport is available from the show to the hotel, but this must be pre-arranged with Stella Ryder on 0773 304 2104 by Wednesday 15^th February. We shall be presenting our Trophy for Student of the Year 2011, and our finalists are: Kim Jackson of Klodhoppers, Hove, E. Sussex, David O’Dwyer of Cushyfeet, Limerick, Sheridan Parsons of Wooton Bassett