Features

2023
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03 November 2023
Driving digital transformation - footwearbiz, world footwear Driving digital transformation
Maria José Ferreira and Green Shoes 4.0 Consortium
13 October 2023
Reconciling conflicting concepts - footwearbiz, world footwear Reconciling conflicting concepts
Even within the leather making sector, the preference for hide purchases based on area instead of weight have been the subject of both debate and investigation.
25 August 2023
Allbirds buffeted by headwinds - footwearbiz, world footwear Allbirds buffeted by headwinds
The brand has ambitious sustainability commitments but a move away from core products has left some investors questioning its strategy.
18 August 2023
A vital component – sewing threads - footwearbiz, world footwear A vital component – sewing threads
In the last issue of World Footwear, we looked at the important role that the lockstitch plays in the footwear manufacturing process.
11 August 2023
What’s next? - footwearbiz, world footwear What’s next?
Coffee is the world’s second most traded product after oil. It is also the world’s second largest beverage only exceeded by water.
04 August 2023
Avoiding the headache from glutaraldehyde - footwearbiz, world footwear Avoiding the headache from glutaraldehyde
Glutaraldehyde (GTA) is an aldehyde that can be used as an alternative to chrome tanning. In July 2021, it was listed on the SVHC (substances of very high concern) candidate list due to its respiratory...
28 July 2023
Advancing functional materials through plasma technology - footwearbiz, world footwear Advancing functional materials through plasma technology
The footwear industry is continuously evolving, driven by the pursuit of improved functionality and performance in its products.
21 July 2023
Calculating footwear sustainability impacts - footwearbiz, world footwear Calculating footwear sustainability impacts
The manufacturing of footwear uses a high number of components and a wide variety of materials which are sourced from all over the world.
14 July 2023
A shoe for high achievers - footwearbiz, world footwear A shoe for high achievers
Footwear brand Scarpa picked a special athlete to help it develop its latest trail-running shoe, the Spin Planet.
07 July 2023
Robot-aided cementing of uppers and soles - footwearbiz, world footwear Robot-aided cementing of uppers and soles
Manual labour still accounts for a major share of the work involved in producing roughly 90% of the global output of footwear.
30 June 2023
Mycelium in the mix - footwearbiz, world footwear Mycelium in the mix
A small number of very high-profile tanners have begun to add mycelium-based materials to their product offerings, not as a competitor to leather but as a much-needed replacement for plastic.
23 June 2023
Digitisation of leather in shoe manufacture - footwearbiz, world footwear Digitisation of leather in shoe manufacture
Germans have something of a reputation for frugality. Sure, it is a cliché, but there’s a grain of truth to it all the same.
12 May 2023
New personal best - footwearbiz, world footwear New personal best
As adidas embarks on its next chapter under the direction of a slightly surprising new chief executive, we take a look at why good sportsmanship will prove essential as the company navigates its next steps.
05 May 2023
Veja’s 180-degree turn - footwearbiz, world footwear Veja’s 180-degree turn
Since its publication of a carbon footprint report in 2021 that showed leather in a poor light, shoe company Veja has worked hard to improve its knowledge of the leather value chain, with encouraging results.
21 April 2023
Carbon-neutral safety shoes - footwearbiz, world footwear Carbon-neutral safety shoes
Italian brand U-Power is claiming a world first, with a range of safety footwear that is certified as carbon-neutral.
13 April 2023
Fast getaway - footwearbiz, world footwear Fast getaway
With the launch of a hands-free children’s footwear line, Kizik’s signature collapsible heel has simplified the act of putting on shoes for all ages and abilities.
05 April 2023
Prize fighters - footwearbiz, world footwear Prize fighters
A revamped format for the ISPO Award programme has given footwear its own category. In 2022, 12 different shoe, boot and footwear technology ideas were among the winners.
29 March 2023
Beyond IOT and towards servitisation - footwearbiz, world footwear Beyond IOT and towards servitisation
Back in 2017 The Economist made a bold statement in declaring that the world’s most valuable resource was no longer oil but data, a commodity in a lucrative, fast-growing industry very much like oil was a...
16 March 2023
The circular economy and recycling footwear - footwearbiz, world footwear The circular economy and recycling footwear
Shahin Rahimifard, SMART (Centre for Sustainable Manufacturing and Recycle Technologies)
09 March 2023
Green Shoes 4.0 - footwearbiz, world footwear Green Shoes 4.0
Maria José Ferreira and Green Shoes 4.0 consortium
02 March 2023
Comfortable high heels - footwearbiz, world footwear Comfortable high heels
Women have always favoured high heels for a number of reasons. As they are usually smaller in stature than men, high heels make them taller and this makes them feel more confident and empowered.
23 February 2023
From one crisis to another - footwearbiz, world footwear From one crisis to another
2022 was supposed to be the year of ‘lift off’ after the 2021 partial bounce back from covid and a general reaching of pre-covid levels of production and consumption.
12 January 2023
Back to business - footwearbiz, world footwear Back to business
Founder of Brazilian footwear group Beira Rio, Roberto Argenta, ran for election as governor of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in October. His bid to hold high office fell short, meaning he can turn his...
04 January 2023
The ongoing problem of sizing - footwearbiz, world footwear The ongoing problem of sizing
It has been reported that a recent study in South Africa found that school shoes currently available at retail were not suitable for the habitually barefoot population studied.

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