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A perception shift

The more consumers know about hemp as a fabric, the more they want products made from the sustainable, durable plant. That's why hemp footwear brands are building education into their business models.  Hemp has a bit of a perception problem. While hemp and marijuana are the same species of cannabis plant, science makes a vital distinction:...
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05 November 2020
South America’s safety shoe breakthrough - leather, world leather South America’s safety shoe breakthrough
Work and safety footwear manufacturer Maincal has become the first South American company in the sector to incorporate BASF’s Infinergy expanded TPU material into the midsole of its products.
29 October 2020
Ethiopia’s story ‘has just begun’ - leather, world leather Ethiopia’s story ‘has just begun’
A Vivobarefoot and Pittards partnership has created jobs and opportunities in the African country. With brands looking at new sourcing destinations, Pittards CEO Reg Hankey tells us why collaborative supply...
22 October 2020
Carb Loading - leather, world leather Carb Loading
This year’s most publicised releases from major running shoe brands have one thing in common: carbon plates. Footwear designers who are not yet using the technology might want to take note.
15 October 2020
Index0.1 finds new home in ski boots - leather, world leather Index0.1 finds new home in ski boots
Salomon has a comprehensive strategy, including local recycling options, for its first ‘made to be recycled’ shoe.
19 August 2020
Airlines relax high-heel rules - leather, world leather Airlines relax high-heel rules
Two Japanese airlines recently changed their stances on flight attendants wearing high heels, in response to growing pressure from employees, podiatrists and a hashtag about shoe pain.
12 August 2020
Shoes that put the personal in PPE - leather, world leather Shoes that put the personal in PPE
For many years, the focus of safety footwear manufacturers has been on protecting workers from external physical danger. Developers also want to address less visible health concerns such as plantar fasciitis...
05 August 2020
Kirigami coating could make shoes safer - leather, world leather Kirigami coating could make shoes safer
MIT researchers have drawn on kirigami, a variation of origami that involves cutting paper as well as folding it, to create a friction-boosting material that could be used to coat the soles of shoes, giving...
29 July 2020
Too good to keep to yourself - leather, world leather Too good to keep to yourself
Large numbers of people discovered a love of running, hiking and other outdoor activities in precious moments of relief from the coronavirus lockdown.
22 July 2020
True north - leather, world leather True north
Swedish outdoor footwear brand Lundhags has always produced on home soil the long-lasting, high-shafted shell boots that helped make its name. More recently, it decided to give a fresh start to lower-cut,...
15 July 2020
Lockdown uncovers new lovers of running - leather, world leather Lockdown uncovers new lovers of running
An offer of free access to a range of features on its Runkeeper app helped ASICS secure the participation of 14,000 people in a new study on the benefits of running during the weeks of the covid-19 lockdown...
27 May 2020
Louboutin is loyal to leather - leather, world leather Louboutin is loyal to leather
Shoe designer Christian Louboutin has received encouragement to try out “fake” material in his collections in place of leather. He carried out his own research into the comparative merits of both materials and ...
20 May 2020
Pathways for smaller companies - leather, world leather Pathways for smaller companies
An important part of the leather industry’s circular economy credentials is that, in this value chain, companies of all sizes are able to see the way forward from linear to circular production.
13 May 2020
Design accolade for Uvex safety shoe - leather, world leather Design accolade for Uvex safety shoe
Uvex, recently celebrated an important success in a wide-ranging and prestigious design competition. A new soling system it put into a new line of safety shoes was instrumental in helping it win.
06 May 2020
An American icon - leather, world leather An American icon
Cowboy boots in some form or another continue to come and go as a footwear item, particularly in ladies ranges.
29 April 2020
The war on waste will continue - leather, world leather The war on waste will continue
Developers of specialist materials and production systems seem more intent than ever on helping footwear companies eliminate waste from their manufacturing set-ups.
22 April 2020
Governing body puts the brakes on - leather, world leather Governing body puts the brakes on
World Athletics has set new rules on footwear advancements in an attempt to try to level the playing field.
15 April 2020
Footwear the foot wants to wear - leather, world leather Footwear the foot wants to wear
After decades of running shoes elevating the heel and hugging in the toes, two brands are nudging the footwear industry back toward more foot-shaped designs.
19 February 2020
Luxury trainers tap into millennial love for sneakers - leather, world leather Luxury trainers tap into millennial love for sneakers
It’s no longer a novelty to find casual, playful sneakers in the collections of the world’s most sophisticated luxury brands.
12 February 2020
Old shoes resurrected - leather, world leather Old shoes resurrected
The knowledge, skills and love required to repair leather shoes may be less common than they were 100 years ago, but giving footwear a new life in this way is making a comeback.
05 February 2020
Safety shoes at a stretch - leather, world leather Safety shoes at a stretch
Use of stretch technology in combination with Gore-Tex breathable moisture-protection has led to a new footwear construction that makes safety shoes “feel like socks”.
29 January 2020
BASF unveils ‘limitless’ virtual shoe - leather, world leather BASF unveils ‘limitless’ virtual shoe
The chemical group teamed up with i-generator to present fresh safety concepts in a novel way.
22 January 2020
Cushioning system is the secret of Saucony’s Triumph - leather, world leather Cushioning system is the secret of Saucony’s Triumph
Running shoe brand Saucony says a new, proprietary cushioning system has helped it make the latest version of its Triumph running shoe lighter in weight, better able to cope with temperature fluctuation and...
15 January 2020
Concept shoe has softer impact - leather, world leather Concept shoe has softer impact
The first product to emerge from a strategy at Salomon to bring circular economy principles into its business involves a running shoe with recyclability designed into it.
06 December 2019
Micam celebrates sports shoe success - leather, world leather Micam celebrates sports shoe success
29 November 2019
Shoes help Kipchoge smash barrier - leather, world leather Shoes help Kipchoge smash barrier
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge has said running a marathon in under two hours, which he managed to do in October, sends a message to the world that “no human is limited”.
22 November 2019
Vosk believes charity begins at home - leather, world leather Vosk believes charity begins at home
South Africa’s answer to TOMS overcomes setbacks to secure manufacturing in the country, and aims to tackle poverty and foot-borne disease with its buy-one-get-one strategy.
15 November 2019
Tod’s takes steps to stand out - leather, world leather Tod’s takes steps to stand out
High-end Italian footwear group Tod’s is striving to halt a trend of descending revenue figures. Changes in the luxury shoe segment have affected the group but some new initiatives are in place to turn its...
06 October 2019
Writing on the wall - leather, world leather Writing on the wall
Messages of appreciation for its products that safety and work footwear brand Red Wing Shoes has received, from millers, miners, loggers, farmers and other workers who have to brave challenging conditions,...
29 September 2019
Online tools spark start-up success - leather, world leather Online tools spark start-up success
The experience of a Berlin footwear start-up shows that a strong social media output and securing the help of key influencers could be more important these days than finding bricks-and-mortar stockists.
22 September 2019
Better safe than sorry - leather, world leather Better safe than sorry
US-based company Honeywell is better known for its work in the aerospace and technology sectors, but for a number of years it has run a successful multi-brand safety shoe business.
15 September 2019
DSW takes control of its own destiny - leather, world leather DSW takes control of its own destiny
Now is not an easy time to be a footwear retailer in the US. Designer Brands Inc. (formerly DSW) has put plans in place to ensure it doesn’t suffer a similar fate to former rival Payless ShoeSource, the most...
05 August 2019
Beautiful comfort - leather, world leather Beautiful comfort
The chief executive of Manolo Blahnik’s company explains the designer’s aversion to athletic shoes. The brand has always had comfort as well as beauty at the heart of its designs and believes it simply does...
29 July 2019
A night that can launch careers - leather, world leather A night that can launch careers
The 2019 Cordwainers’ Footwear Student of the Year competition took place in London in June with a total of 15 footwear design students presenting their ideas.
22 July 2019
VF’s new London HQ ‘shows commitment’ - leather, world leather VF’s new London HQ ‘shows commitment’
Timberland, Vans and Altra tell World Footwear about upcoming launches and strategies, as well as how the seven-storey Axtell Soho will boost their standing in Europe.
15 July 2019
Positive approach in the face of climate change - leather, world leather Positive approach in the face of climate change
By measuring its greenhouse gas emissions and then deliberately overcompensating when offsetting them, Swedish outdoor footwear brand Icebug can now claim to be “climate positive”.
12 June 2019
Futurecraft.Loop takes a stride - leather, world leather Futurecraft.Loop takes a stride
By creating a shoe from a single material, adidas claimed to have made a 100% recyclable product – but it is still some way from a true ‘closed loop’.
05 June 2019
Happy feet - leather, world leather Happy feet
When it comes to making shoes for the feet of a child, compromising on quality is out of the question for Spanish brand Dechics.
29 May 2019
Solutions for filling the shoe skills gap - leather, world leather Solutions for filling the shoe skills gap
Digital skills are needed on factory floors if footwear manufacturers in Europe are to enjoy success in the future.
22 May 2019
Trends in children’s footwear for spring-summer 2020 - leather, world leather Trends in children’s footwear for spring-summer 2020
The Micam Fashion Square, located in one of the two halls that the Milan-based shoe exhibition dedicates to luxury footwear, is always a hub of activity.
15 May 2019
Stand-out shoes from CES - leather, world leather Stand-out shoes from CES
The self-described “largest and most influential technology event on the planet” is not the first place one typically goes to find the latest trends in footwear, but CES 2019 revealed that some of today’s most ...
05 April 2019
The king of shoes - leather, world leather The king of shoes
Considered by many to be the greatest women’s shoe designer of the past century, the career of eccentric genius Manolo Blahnik has been celebrated with a travelling exhibition that showcased some of his finest ...
29 March 2019
ISPO goes outdoors: Penny Leese - leather, world leather ISPO goes outdoors: Penny Leese
The outdoor segment of the ISPO exhibition is getting stronger, with more exhibitors, especially from Scandinavia. Ski and snow sports remain an important category of this winter sports fair.
22 March 2019
Leather project will boost jobs and exports - leather, world leather Leather project will boost jobs and exports
A start-up venture that aims to build a world-class leather and finished product operation in Nigeria launched in early 2019.
15 March 2019
If the shoe fits - leather, world leather If the shoe fits
Video calling, virtual reality headsets and autonomous vehicles – Nike’s newest innovation means self-lacing shoes could be the next science fiction prediction that becomes a reality.

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