About us
Leatherex
Ltd is a private company founded by the Antoniades family in 1977. The
main activities have been the manufacturing and sale of shoes and soles
made in their own premises.
Until the early 1990s, the company
grew substantially, with sales covering the local market as well as
Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Thanks to large sales volumes, in
1991 the company was granted the Export Business award by the Cypriot
Government.
In 1991, Leatherex Ltd entered into a license
agreement for the manufacturing of Hush Puppies products, a move that
proved very successful for the company.
In 1994, due to rising
labour costs and the reduction of import taxes, the management decided
to shift its operations to importing and trading branded shoes instead
of manufacturing.
The importing of Cat Footwear commenced in 1994
and grew significantly in the following years. For the years 1997 to
1999, Leatherex won the Cat Footwear Global Award for highest sales per
capita, an award that was highly significant for the future of Cat
Footwear in Cyprus.
1998 was a milestone in Leatherex’s history,
as it signed a distribution agreement for the majority of the countries
in the African continent (excluding South Africa and its bordering
countries) for the brands Cat Footwear, Hush Puppies, Merrell, and later
on Sebago and Harley Davidson - footwear, accessories & apparel.
By
2013, Leatherex was granted the distribution in Greece for Cat Footwear
and Merrell, followed later on by Hush Puppies and Harley Davidson.
As
the company grew substantially and sales expanded to the international
market, Leatherex entered the retail industry in the local market, and
soon expanded to the African countries by offering franchise retail
stores under the name of Leatherex.
With outstanding sales awards
around all the territories associated with the company, Leatherex Ltd
has become one of the largest exclusive distributors of well-known
brands, and the company’s stores have become a dominant force in the
fashion industry by offering a complete range of footwear, apparel, and
accessories.