FOOT-JAN22-PG04-08 News.qxd:Footwear_Jan10_p30 27/01/2022 21:29 Page 5


NEWS Generation Z keep trainers dirty to show their life experiences.


memories of gigs and other life experiences, new research shows. A three-year study by Nottingham Trent


T


University explored the relationship between Generation Z – who were born into an image- led, social media society – and their choices in footwear. “The teenage years are a significant period


during which children transition into adulthood, and are a key time when people start to form their own identity,” said Dr Naomi Braithwaite, of the School of Art & Design, who led the research. “Today’s teenagers have been born and raised


under the significant pressures that the new image-conscious world brings. Previous research has shown more than 80 per cent of teenage girls found that the pressure to conform to a certain


eenagers buy trainers to express their individuality and fit into social groups - and many keep them dirty to preserve


look, compounded by social media, causes anxiety. “Considering how teenagers feel in their shoes


in this research has revealed a myriad of different emotions - from individuality, to fitting in to a group, to being comfortable, grown up or cool. “There were many pairs of trainers that were


discussed which were covered in mud which could not be cleaned, as that might erase their meaningfulness. “And the owners of these muddy shoes


cherished them as a way to remember their favourite experiences in life, and to tell a story to the outside world about who they are.” The study – which involved interviews with 16 to


19-year-olds from across the UK – revealed that many owned multiple pairs of trainers and chose what to wear depending on the emotions they wanted to express. For example, many used white-clean trainers as symbols of purity and child-like identity. At the


become another production site for the Wortmann Group´s company. As early as April 2022, high-quality CAPRICE leather shoes for the coming


autumn/winter season will be running on the production lines of the shoe factory in Colombo, which is operated jointly with the Pakistani SGF Ltd. "We have been working very trustfully and successfully with our Pakistani


partner for over 20 years. The shoe factory in Sri Lanka, which will be integrated into already existing organisational structures, can use synergy effects of both partners and is to be expanded successively in the coming years", says Jürgen Cölsch, Managing Director of CAPRICE. Since May 2017, the island state of Sri Lanka has benefited from improved


market access to the EU within the framework of the Generalised System of Preferences towards Developing Countries (GSP+). "We are participating organisationally, technically and financially in the expansion and modernisation of the already existing production facility, whose employees are trained professionals who already have many years of experience in the production of shoes made of fine leathers. The factory is in an ideal location for us. It takes only one hour to transport our shoes to the Port of Colombo, one of the busiest and largest container ports in the world, and from there they have a relatively short journey through the Suez Canal to Europe, which is about half the time of transport from ports in the Far East. In addition, the trade agreement with the direct neighbour India gives us free and fast access to the most important procurement market for leather. The production in Sri Lanka will give us and our customers more flexibility, quality and faster deliveries", says Cölsch.


CAPRICE starts production in Sri Lanka T


he Pirmasens-based shoe manufacturer CAPRICE is strengthening its commitment in South Asia. In addition to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, Sri Lanka, located south of India in the Indian Ocean, will


same time, the same people owned other trainers which looked very worn, but which they had cherished over time and meant something to them. “From following the trend for wearing branded


trainers or investing in the first high heels as a symbol of womanhood, trainers and other footwear provoke deeper discussions around identity,” added Dr Braithwaite. “And different kinds of shoes are also used as a


rite of passage over time. “What this study reveals is that shoes are used


do more than just communicate how you want to be seen; they are expressions of who the person is, where they have been and what they have done. “In many ways, people are using their shoes as


a personal biography. So, when looking at a person’s shoes, it is worth considering what that person is telling about who they really are.”


Omar Saeed, owner of the Pakistani SGF Ltd., and Jürgen Cölsch, Managing Director of CAPRICE (right), want to intensify their cooperation, which has existed for over 20 years, with the development of the production site in Sri Lanka. Photo: Caprice


JANUARY 2022 • FOOTWEAR TODAY


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