CONTENTS
FROM THE EDITOR I
t is my great pleasure to report that Footwear Today Magazine has received an amazing response from the trade to the Annual Footwear Industry Awards 2016 - breaking all previous records! Our loyal readers
have played an active part this year nominating and voting for those they believe are the deserving, so that only the best win these awards. The standard of entries, as ever, is extremely high and it looks to be a nail biting event for each of the finalists. I would like to see as many members of the trade as possible join with us in celebrating the industry’s success on the night. The Footwear Industry Awards event, now in its fifth year, promises to be
an exciting evening, held on Sunday 21st February, the first night of the Moda show, at a luxury venue, the National Conference Centre, formerly the National Motor Cycle Museum, only a short drive from Birmingham NEC. I look forward to welcoming you to the event. The dress code for the
evening is ‘lounge suit’, but it’s purely a matter of personal choice, many people will be wearing evening dress, so if you want to wear your tiara, that’s fine! If you’d like to attend please contact Sue Wiseman on 01622 699l85. On the subject of the Awards, I wanted to share with you a lovely letter
that we received recently from a member of the shoe-buying public, as it’s always good to have feedback from your valued customers! Mrs. Irene McCormack writes: “I am delighted to read that my local shoe
shop, Reds of Gourock, has been nominated in this year's footwear awards in the Independent ladies category. Whilst this is excellent news for Karen Gunn, the owner, it is also good publicity for our small town. It has been a very difficult year for traders locally with loss of footfall and revenue due to a major roadworks scheme, which is just being completed. The effect on retailers has been dramatic, with many ceasing to trade all together. “Throughout this, Mrs Gunn and her lovely assistants have managed to
remain positive and it is a pleasure to visit her shop. I am pleased that her efforts have been recognised. I hope your awards ceremony is a success.” Finally, the Society of Shoe Fitters will be celebrating National Shoe
Fitting Week – under the banner Keep Feet ‘Fit’- during week commencing March 19th 2016. So, if you haven’t started making plans already for this important event, now is a good time! A4 posters are available from the SSF, so please get in touch. The SSF, which operates on a non-profit basis, wants to raise national
awareness of importance well-fitting footwear and the vital service independent shoe retailers provide to the public. I hope everyone in the industry will join in with the SSF to celebrate this event – member or not! The public needs to be aware of the importance of shoe fitting and with
so many independents closing their doors; professional shoe fitting is not as available as it used to be. Bearing in mind only a third of the population can readily find shoes to comfortably fit, it is vital to keep as many doors open as we can. Even if you are a big multi-national, you will still benefit from promoting the message. Don’t forget…if ‘indies’ disappear so will many suppliers. Why not join the SSF as it has lots of ways of promoting you and your
business and will always do its very best to help you? Courses, In-store Training and, for the more experienced, an Entrance Application are always available. For more information about the Society of Shoe Fitters go to their website:
www.shoefitters-uk.org.
Kind regards, Cheryl
Cheryl Taylor, Editor, Footwear Today Magazine,
Email:
cheryltayloreditor@googlemail.com Tel: 01622 862962
IFRA, BFA and Society of Shoe Fitters all support Footwear Today as a valuable forum for the footwear industry, helping to promote trade and keeping retailers informed about the latest products and developments.
@SKXPerformance SkechersPerformanceUK
Pull-out Moda Supplement • London Shoe Show Supplement • Industry News • Footwear Focus Road Test – Softinos Editor’s Choice: Ladies’ Boots • Best Sellers • Retailer of the Month • Money Shop
EDITOR Cheryl Taylor:
cheryltayloreditor@googlemail.com FASHION LAWYER Stephen Sidkin FEATURE WRITERS Bryony Andrews • Henry Harington • Dawn Smith • David Gummers • Vicky Kember • Joe Maggio • Emma Cooke • JOURNAL MANAGER Sue Wiseman: 01622 699185
swiseman@datateam.co.uk DESIGNER Steve Parks CIRCULATION
datateam@pmps.info PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Paul Ryder:
pryder@datateam.co.uk
Published by: Datateam Business Media Ltd, London Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8LY. Tel: 01622 687031 Fax: 01622 757646 email:
footwear@datateam.co.uk website:
www.datateam.co.uk
Subscription Prices 2016 Footwear Today Magazine Number of editions per year: 9 ISSN: 1475-8601 UK: £58 Overseas: £109 The Publishers cannot accept responsibility for any discrepancies either in copy or between products and/or services listed. Nor can they be responsible for illustrations and/or copy for products which lead to infringement of copyright.
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AWARDS NEWS NEWS
EXPO RIVA SCHUH REVIEW EDITOR’S CHOICE (LADIES BOOTS) BEST SELLERS RETAILER OF THE MONTH COMPANY PROFILE MONEY SHOP
40 PAGE MODA SUPPLEMENT / LONDON SHOE SHOW PULL OUT FRONT COVER: SKECHERS
FEBRUARY 2016
www.footweartoday.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2016 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
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