p.4-7 news 11:FOOTWEAR NEW TEMPLAT 10 08 10/11/09 09:19 Page 6
NEWS
Making History – 100% Achievement -
Professor Wesley Vernon OBE
The Society of Shoe Fitters is ley’s achievements have been first of these is the Healthy
delighted to welcome Professor well received by the industry Footwear Group - an initiative in
Wesley Vernon O.B.E. PhD as a due to his hard work and amaz- which 11 criteria have been
member of their organisation. ing career history. agreed for "Healthy Footwear".
Professor Vernon is the first Professor Vernon qualified as Participating footwear manufac-
person in 50 years to achieve a a podiatrist in 1980 after at- turers can then allocate a sym-
100% pass mark in their En- tending the Northern College in bol of recognition to footwear
trance Examination. “Examina- Manchester. Initially he worked that they produce which meet
tion papers are sent to our for the Derbyshire Area Health these criteria, which can then
Examiners anonymously; there- Authority, where 11 months later be used to assist the public in
fore they have no idea about he gained his first managerial making healthy choices when
the candidate and their history. position. In 1985 he moved to purchasing footwear. He also
Once they had marked Profes- Sheffield for greater responsi- chairs an International Commit-
sor Vernon’s papers they were bilities in management and to tee on forensic podiatry within
informed about the outcome work as the lead for a specialist the International Association of
overall, and needless to say diabetes foot health unit based project entitled "The functional Identification.
were not surprised they could at the Royal Hallamshire Hospi- analysis of shoe wear patterns: In addition to his work in
not find fault with his papers, in tal. It was through working in Theory and Application", com- Sheffield where he now func-
fact they felt quite relieved that this unit that Professor Vernon pleting the project in year tions as research lead as well as
their marks reflected his knowl- became interested in the influ- 2000. His studies in this field Head of Podiatry Services, he is
edge and standing,” said Laura ence of footwear on foot health. led to involvement in forensic a Visiting Professor at Stafford-
West, Secretary. Between qualifying in 1980 and science and he began to under- shire University, where he
The Professor is becoming as 1990 he took various qualifica- take forensic case work, which teaches both research and
widely known in footwear circles tions in teaching, management he continues to be involved in forensic podiatry modules.
as he is in his field of podiatry, and an honours degree through mainly with a focus on footwear In October 2009, Professor
as he heads the new Healthy Brighton University, became and footprint identification. Wesley Vernon was awarded an
Feet campaign to encourage Head of the NHS Podiatry Serv- Since year 2000, his interests OBE in the Queens Birthday Ho-
people to think about their feet ices in Sheffield in 1993, where in podiatry, research, forensic nours list for "Services to medi-
and the footwear required in he led a transformation of serv- and footwear have continued to cine and health care". He told
both in their formative and ices, culminating in the award of develop and he has represented Footwear Today: “I now feel ho-
adult years – in particular their Charter Mark in 1996. podiatrists and other Allied noured and privileged to be ad-
senior years, as the neglect sus- He developed an interest in Health Professions on a number mitted as a member of the
tained through life, starts to the potential of podiatry in of national and international Society of Shoe Fitters with
take its toll! Working closely forensic identification while committees, some of which he whom I look forward to a long
with quality brands to create studying at Brighton University has chaired. He currently and happy association”.
the right shape footwear, Wes- and in 1993 commenced a PhD Chairs two committees. The www.shoefitters-uk.org
Italian production fell by 12.1 percent
German industry is optimistic,
in first half
but still cautious
The Italian production of pect volumes to be stable. The
While the German shoe market domestic sales of 6.8% to 724
footwear dropped by an industry is suffering from the
has performed better than the million euros, while turnover
estimated 12.1% year-on-year in double whammy of a decline
retail sector as a whole so far abroad dipped by 17.7% to 262
the first half of 2009 and the in domestic demand, down by
this year, German shoe manu- million euros. Imports decreased
situation is not expected to im- 0.4% in volume and by 1.1% in
facturers have not been im- in terms of volume by 5.6% to
prove in the second part of the value in the first half, and a
mune to the international 258 million pairs. Only 17% of
year, according to data released sharp drop in exports, which
recession. During the first six the imported shoes came from
by the Italian shoe industry as- declined by 16.0% in volume
months of 2009 their turnover within the boundaries of the Eu-
sociation, Anci. Production is and by 14.6% in value in the
dipped by 10% to 986 million ropean Union, 83% from else-
seen dropping in the second five months to May. Thanks to
euros. Ralph Reiker, president where. Due to the anti-dumping
half to reach 75% of existing a 1.8% increase in domestic
of their industry association, duties and to price increases,
capacities at the end of 2009, prices and a 0.7% rise in
HDS, does not expect that the notably in the Far East, the aver-
down from 76% in June. foreign prices, the revenues of
decrease in sales can be made age price for an imported pair of
In a survey, 71 percent of Italian shoemakers slightly
up for during the generally im- shoes jumped by 9.6% to 8.77
companies interviewed by outperformed the production
proving economic situation. euros; the price for shoes with
Anci expect a further trend, dropping by 10.9% in
In the first half of 2009, the leather uppers soared by 10.4%
decrease in volumes in the the first half.
German shoe manufacturers to 17.67 euros.
second half and 21 percent ex- www.shoeintelligence.com
recorded a decrease in www.shoeintelligence.com
6
•
FOOTWEAR TODAY
•
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
www.footweartoday.co.uk
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