Spring Newsletter 2011
Published: 16 February, 2011
Greetings from the President Two years ago I was “persuaded” to allow my name to be put forward as President of the SSF. I cannot believe how quickly the two years have flown by. It is an honour and privilege to be your President, but soon my term in office will be at an end, and all being well I will be handing on the prestigious chain of office to our Vice President Mrs. Jan Parry. I hope she has a great time; she will be a wonderful President for our and YOUR society.
The A.G.M. is in a few weeks time and I urge all members to make an effort to attend. It REALLY is a good day out attending Council meetings, (even if I have to be on the road at 4.30 am to make London for the meeting!). The council have done an excellent job in running the show during my term and I wish to thank each and every one of them most sincerely. The Council really needs members to play an active part – without the Council the SSF cannot continue, so don’t be a shy violet, we are all a friendly bunch and it is amazing what you can learn at meetings about the trade and it’s ‘going’s on’.
The SSF are committed to forging stronger links with the Society of Podiatrists and Chiropodists with a view to up-skill all members who wish to enhance their footwear knowledge, so there are some exciting times ahead. It seems crazy to me that Podiatrists recognise the skill in fitting and the need for qualification more than our own industry. On the retail front trade has been very difficult; however we must persevere and do all in our power to provide the best fitting service we can. This differentiates us from the pack.
The “FAIR SEASON “ is upon us, for me it’s ISRA this weekend, Moda next weekend, Broga the weekend after(where I shall be manning the SSF stand!) and, if I can afford to go, it’s Micam in early March. I know I’ll get stick for this but honestly, I think we retailers have to buy TOO many shoes MUCH TOO early. Whatever happened to in-stock? All around the world people are looking for “CHANGE” so am I, the world has moved, but has the shoe trade???
I have met some truly wonderful people while on Council and being President. Once again thanks to our Council, our hard-working Tutors, our members and especially our much needed Associate Members new and not so new, and a special thanks to Laura, who continues to make the whole SSF thing work.
BERNARD
From the Secretary: Just a few lines this edition (so no paragraphs!) as there are far more interesting and important things to include! First, a belated ‘Happy New Year’ from the SSF Council. A reminder that subscriptions are not yet ‘overdue’ but nearly, so hope you received your newsletter and invoice safely in December and to remind you that payment should be in by February 15th please. Thank you to those who have already paid, or informed us of their payment date. We have had numerous mentions in both the trade press and national press and indeed successfully deterred Watchdog from airing a programme that would have made life difficult for anyone selling shoes in fittings or offering a fitting service. Watchdog promoted the feature heavily on TV, Radio Times etc. so we were delighted they read our letter and must have reconsidered - you may have read about this in the trade press. As if things are not difficult enough! Our first Workshop has been extremely successful with 38 students so far this year - welcome to you all! It was great to meet so many, and hope you have Workshop 2 in your diaries? We will be at MODA and have the tiniest stand (Z2) resembling a sentry box 2msq. I am sure I measure 2msq, so if you see I am dead on my feet you only have to lay the shell-scheme down and pop a lid on to bury me (Note to President…don’t even think about it!!). There is too much to report in this edition as it has been non-stop for months, suffice to say that we are helping lots of people both public and trade and hope this in turn is helping you too. PLEASE consider joining Council at our next AGM, as we urgently need new blood to keep the SSF alive and kicking and it will only involve 3-4 days a year – reasonable expenses paid. I know it is difficult in retail, so keep strong and please be reassured that I am doing my best to fight your corner and keep our members and skills in the news. Laura
THANK YOU TO OUR NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBER/S: SUPERFIT & LEGERO who have kindly sponsored this newsletter in full, to include their school leaflet. We are therefore pleased to include more about these brands overleaf.
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foot
WEDNESDAY MARCH 23rd 2011 – OUR 51st ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
WE NEED YOU! Our Council is a voluntary body of people who are dedicated to the continuance of the SSF. As with any democratic Council, places are nominated and voted. Being a Council member involves 3-4 meetings a year in London (usually at the Start-rite offices thanks to their generosity), starting at approx. 12.00 am (to take advantage of cheap travel) and finish at around 4.00 pm – with a sandwich buffet in-between. It doesn’t matter how long you have been a member, what age you are, if you are a shop owner, podiatrist, technician etc., you just need to care whether the Society lives or dies!
Our Presidents term of office is now at an end (2 years), so we need to vote in a new President, Vice President and naturally need new members of the Council too. They number 6 ordinary members, but we are anxious to increase this number to ensure that the SSF has new blood and a good turn out at each meeting (as it is not always possible for everyone to attend). We must particularly thank - Bernard O’Brien of Tuam (President) Vice President: Jan Parry of Parry’s of Pembroke Dock. Imm. Past President - Lesley Waddy (Best Feet First of Epsom), Hon. Treasurer - John Allan (Rtd. London) for steering a steady ship this past two years, but not forgetting the marvellous input from our other Council members: Keith Waddy (of Epsom), Francis Parry (Pembroke Dock), Charles Denton (DB Shoes, Rushden), Mrs. Maureen Unsworth (an ex-President), Mrs. Rosemary Gray of Peterborough and Mrs. Tracey Manton of Rochford. We must also thank Mr. Peter Elliot (Hands Stockport) who stood down directly after the vote at the last AGM for his contribution to the SSF and to Mr. John Allan who once again entered the shoes as Hon Treasurer. Thank you also to our advisors namely Mr. Richard Ford, Mrs. Karen Little, Mrs. Gwenda Carter, Mr. Mathew McKillen, Mrs. Jane Bonner all of whom are amazing individuals and do a lot to help the SSF in varying ways. Three Ordinary Council members may retire annually so. WOULD YOU LIKE A PLACE ON COUNCIL? If you are a fully-paid up member (not a student sorry!), can dedicate 3-4 days a year to meetings (reasonable travel expenses reimbursed), PLEASE apply for membership using the form (see over). If you need nomination contact The Secretary. You will make history and join like-minded people who enjoy thrashing out shoe trade issues with lots of humour thrown in! Let’s hear from you... To save printing costs, for an official invitation, location map, Minutes of previous meeting/s etc. contact the Secretary via email or phone – thank you. All Apologies for Absence are noted on the Minutes of the meeting.
Success! Samantha Price MSSF of Angels & Urchins, Bedford - School Plimsoll fight:
As a trained shoe fitter and a mother of two boys, I was horrified when my 8-year-old son came home from school one day and told me he had to take slippers in to school, to wear all day in the classroom. I immediately wrote to the school’s Headmaster, expressing my concern, and he invited me to come in for a chat. He told me that the children – particularly the boys – were bringing mud in from the playground, and it was making a mess of the carpets. I explained to him how damaging to a child’s feet it can be to wear unsupportive, badly-fitting and hot footwear all day – but we were at an impasse. My son’s teacher then decreed that if the children didn’t bring in slippers, they would hae to just wear their socks! I was horrified at the thought of a chair leg landing on a child’s unprotected foot, and I just couldn’t let it rest. I called the lovely Laura West, and got the weight of the Society behind me. Laura wrote to the school, and to the Chair of the PTA, and I wrote to the Governing Body. We explained that slippers don’t come in width fittings, are unlikely to fit properly, are not protective and are likely to cause lasting damage to a child’s feet. Disappointingly, most of the other parents I spoke to seemed unconcerned – they assumed the school would not ask children to do something harmful, and of course they didn’t have access to the information that I did. I didn’t want to “preach” to the parents, but I was very anxious that this situation should not be allowed to continue. Well, I am delighted to say that all our campaigning was successful! Just this week, the Headmaster called me in to say that he and the Governors had decided that school shoes should be worn throughout the school day. Hurrah – common sense prevails! Now I just have to persuade all those lethargic parents to buy their quality, well-fitting school shoes from my shop...
Council Comment: - WELL DONE SAMANTHA!
…… AND FROM OUR MEMBER BASAK KURTOGLU IN TURKEY!
As the 4th generation of an 85 year old footwear company we had opened our first comfort only boutique in Istanbul/Turkey in 2006. After the success and growth of this new retail format, we have opened a second one in Izmir, in our hometown in 2010.
We used to measure feet manually in our shops, now we have an electronic scanner which measures the length and width of feet and shows pressure points and recommends insoles… It has attracted a lot of attention and as a comfort shop which sells fashionable shoes; our comfort emphasis has grown stronger.
In Turkey there is no shoe fitting service offered in shoe shops. We have been doing this for the past 4 years but the most experienced sales personnel has two years experience so it is difficult to give such professional service as in the UK due to lack of experienced sales force. Now with this new device, we are able to offer better service and training.
Our main brand is Gabor from Germany. We also sell Waldlaufer, Caprice, Clarks, Stonefly, Padders etc.
We are looking for fashionable styles with different width fittings and also some more brands with removable insoles. We also stock some local shoes which we specially order in wide fittings, to have a lower price range offer. Anyone who is interested in buying Turkish comfort shoes can contact me. Also, we are looking for men’s shoes – dress + casual, with different width fittings. Our men’s sales is only 20-30% of our total sales. We would like to take this up to 40%. You can contact me at basakkurtoglu@shoecity.com.tr for any suggestions or questions. You are all welcome to Turkey to visit us!
Basak Kurtoglu
A big THANK YOU to all our existing Associate Members and those that have just joined us. We have sadly lost two associate members since we began in 2006 (Ara and Rohde), but hope they may return to support us again in the future. May we welcome UKD and SIMPLY FEET and SILENTNIGHT FOOTWEAR to our organization (full details and hyperlinks to their email and websites can be found on our website). It will be our aim to promote these companies whenever possible and keep them informed of any possible promotional avenues.
Our Associate Members are listed here and we have now introduced their logos onto our Associate website page making them more instantly recognisable. It would be great if any member is considering a change of brand that they look to our Associates first, as they are fully supportive of our aims and objectives as shoe fitters, so it is good to return the compliment..
Special thanks must go to Josef Seibel for full sponsorship of a future newsletter as well as the sponsors of this newsletter (Superfit / Legero) and Aetrex, Clarks and Cosyfeet for promising part sponsorship. This helps immensely as it costs around £500 to produce and mail out the newsletter quarterly. Full sponsorship entitles the Associate to include a leaflet in the mailing, but part sponsorship is greatly welcomed and appreciated too.
Now where are Church’s, Barkers, Naturalista, Gardener Bros., William Lamb, Geox, Hotter ....etc.? Come on guys it is only £200 a year not a small fortune, but vitally important for us to keep education and information available within the industry. You will be helping our members, the public and new businesses to improve standards and educate for years to come!
SHOE TRADE GOLF - CHAMPIONSHIP AT CARDEN PARK ON JUNE 15TH, 16TH AND 17TH 2011
CALLING ALL GOLFERS…..The International Golf Championship of the Shoe, Leather and Allied Trades in 2011 is to be held in Cheshire at the De Vere Carden Park, set in some of Cheshire’s most beautiful countryside, on a site dating back to the 17th century. In the last few years nearly £10 million has been invested in the Hotel and Golf facilities.
Carden Park has two challenging courses, the Nicklaus and the Cheshire, each with their own unique features. The Nicklaus, one of only four Jack Nicklaus designed courses in the UK, is a thinking golfer’s course, with split fairways, well placed hazards and spectacular views. The Cheshire is amazingly scenic with panoramic views over the Welsh Hills and the Cheshire countryside, and offers classic British heath land golf. Where it is necessary to stick to the well groomed fairways as the rough can be punishing and the undulating terrain provides interesting lies and putts.
The Championship in Killarney last year was very successful with 130 competitors, which raised and increased amount for the Trade Charities of £15,250, (Footwear Friends and LHTBI ). Manufacturers, retailers, agents, wholesalers and distributors from the Footwear and Leather industries competed for a large array of Silver Trophies, along with numerous visitors and guests.
The main Championship is played over 36 holes on the Thursday and Friday; this includes the Ladies Championship and the Visitors and Guests competing for the Marlone Trophy. On the Wednesday at 11 a.m. there is the International Match with England & Wales defending the Bridge of Weir Trophy they hold, having beaten Scotland & Ireland in Killarney last year. This Match is followed by the Start-rite Sponsored Competition open to all competitors and like the main Championship is based on full handicap Stableford format. The main social event of the Championship is the Banquet, being held at the Hotel on the Thursday evening. There is the Out On a Limb raffle, great food and good company. The Regional Trophies will be presented prior to the Banquet and afterwards John Martin will be the guest entertainer.
Entry forms are being sent out in January and February and the entries close in April with the draw being notified to all competitors in May. For any further information or Entry Forms please contact Rodney Gibson on 01162 434081 or rodney@leicesteruk.co.uk
Pretty as a picture….
We always knew Bob Hardy – Fitting Services Manager at Clarks (for more years than he would care to admit), is a good looking chap, but his first grand-daughter Matilda certainly has the Hardy genes! Her mum and dad must be stunners! Matilda is wearing a pair of Clarks new Pram Shoes which will be hitting the market in February/March 2011. Bob says “We all know these are very much optional and can’t be fitted as such (we have three sizes but the fitting guidance is initially more by age and weight as it’s not possible to measure such little ones with any real accuracy and then a final check when they are on the feet), but they are great for ensuring socks stay on as she’s already a little tinker in managing to get her socks off when she wriggles and kicks. We made them from some beautiful soft leathers and as you can see they finish off her little outfit, so this was a little indulgence that grand-dad could use his position to organise, ahead of everybody else!
REMINDER: SAVE £… HAVE YOU PAID YOUR ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FEE YET? AFTER FEBRUARY 15TH THE FEE INCREASES, SO SAVE MONEY, SEND IT A.S.A.P.
REMINDER: CHECK OUT THE - JOBS / SHOPS / STOCK PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE!
THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER, WYE, KENT
WINS ‘BEST FOR CHILDREN’ TELEGRAPH MAGAZINE SHOP AWARD
The Elves and the Shoemaker, in Wye has won 'Best for Children' in the Telegraph Magazine’s ‘Best Small Shops in Britain’ awards 2011.
Last night, Thursday February 10, winners of the prestigious Telegraph Magazine Shop Awards - this year rebranded ‘Best Small Shops in Britain’ - were announced at an awards event in London, at Millbank’s Altitude 360.
Now in their fifth year, the awards focused this year on the small, independent retailers on Britain’s high streets. The categories were as follows: women’s fashion, men’s fashion, interiors, health and beauty, food, wine, books, children, gardening and best corner shop or village shop. For the first time this year, Telegraph readers were given the opportunity to vote for their favourite small shop in ten different categories. The three shops with the most votes in each category were then visited by a team of Telegraph judges who selected the winners.
Mary Portas (pictured right), ‘Shop!’ columnist for the Telegraph Magazine, said: “We are delighted to present these awards to the very best unique retailers who really give our high streets their special identities. It doesn’t matter what state the economy’s in, people will always respond to brilliant service, genuine expertise and a quality product. The financial climate is making us much more discerning about how we spend our hard-earned cash, which is why, given the opportunities to do so, many of us prefer to spend it in brilliant local shops.”
Daisy Bridgewater, Telegraph Magazine Children’s Columnist and a judge in the Telegraph Magazine Shop Awards, said: “There are few places where small children and shopping mix well, but I found an outstanding example of a child-and-parent-friendly environment at the Elves & the Shoemaker. The whole shop is geared towards making the experience a magical one for children, from the rainbow-carpeted shoe-fitting area with its child-sized bench, to the words of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale looping around the walls.”
Dani Palmarini, Director, The Elves and the Shoemaker, said: “Winning this award is a great acknowledgement that our business is meeting the needs of our customers, through our exceptional shoes, the customer experience we offer and our customer service. These are the things we have strived to deliver since we opened two years ago, and winning this award is recognition from our customers that we are succeeding.
We hope that winning will also create the endorsement we need to continue to grow and develop the business as we wish to. Of course we would not be here at all without our customers, who are always at the heart of what we do and how we do it and we hope that it shows! We are extremely grateful that consequently our customers have shown their confidence in us by voting for us, and helped to get us here tonight!”
The Elves and the Shoemaker opened for business two years ago, founded by Dani Palmarini and Kate Bouverie, who were inspired to sell the kinds of shoes they had previously found hard to find for their own six children. As well as offering a professional measuring and fitting service, and selling a wide range of children’s shoes from brands as diverse as Geox, Lelli Kelly, Angulus, Primigi, Birkenstock and Start-rite, the shop also sells a selection of toys, gifts and accessories, and also now stocks a small range of ladies shoes.
Editor: This is a fantastic achievement so well done to Kate and Dani! Let this be a lesson to members – keep your eyes open for any promotional opportunity – it may not always involve the national press and we may not get 1st prize, but still worth taking part for the publicity and satisfaction of giving it your best shot. In our eyes all our members are winners!
News from Associate Members:
For S/S 2010, D B Shoes have launched their exciting new range of wedge-heeled sandals. The new designs are leather lined with light polyurethane sole and a sculptured heel for a carefree, summer look. All of the sandals have removable leather socks for the insertion of orthotics and open styling to allow air to circulate for extra summertime comfort. If you haven’t seen the styles, please look in the new brochure - it's out now, so please phone: 01933-359217 or ask your representative for a copy.
New Fashion Range for Start-rite: ANGRY ANGELS aimed at the teenage market. Adrian Horne, Sales Director is heading this innovative new concept, so for more information contact Adrian on: 07771-892255.
COUNCIL NOMINATION FORM
51st ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Wednesday 23rd March 2011
Please send Invitation, Map, Minutes etc. I will be attending the AGM:
Name………………………………………………Tel./Email: …………………………………………….
I will not be attending the AGM please give my apologies: …………………………………………..
Now in our 52nd year, the voluntary Council of the Society of Shoe Fitters remains a vital part of our organisation. It is made up of men and women of all ages and abilities, who have a passion for shoe fitting and our aims and objectives. Without the guidance of the Council it could not run as a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation. We hold 3-4 meetings a year and contribute toward travel expenses. Each meeting varies.
Please complete the following if you would like to join our team, or to give apologies which will be recorded in the Minutes, if you are unable to attend.
IMPORTANT – Please return by 11th March 2011 to the Secretary
To ensure the Society remains a democratic organisation we are governed by a voluntary Council made up from the membership duly elected each year as follows:
Being a paid-up member of The Society of Shoe Fitters, I would like to make the following nomination/s to Council. (N.B. You may nominate yourself)
1. …………………………………………………………………………………
2. …………………………………………………………………………………
3. …………………………………………………………………………………
4. …………………………………………………………………………………
5. …………………………………………………………………………………
6. …………………………………………………………………………………
Permission to nominate the above has been obtained from those nominated.n
NAME: ……………………………………………………………………………..…………..
Signed: ……………………………………………….. Date: ……………………………
Your Address: ………………………………………………………………..……………….
Tel. No.: …………………………………………………………………………
