The man who handles the Jandal
There are a thousand imitators – but only one authentic New Zealand Jandal. Now, for the first time in half a century, the man who owns the trademark to the Jandal is launching a new model on the market: the strapped Jandal. Matt Shand reports.
Only Baron Sandford can truly claim to be able to ‘‘handle the jandal’’. After all, he and his factory manufacture every single pair.
The 70-year-old from the small Bay of Plenty town of Katikati holds the trademark for that icon of Kiwiana summer and any-occasion party attire. He is passionate about maintaining the quality of the Kiwi brand in the face of threats from ‘‘cheap rubbish’’ knockoffs.
Just this month, he lay awake in bed at night listening to talkback callers argue with radio host Marcus Lush about the merits of their jandals. One pensioner called in complaining of a broken strap – so Sandford tracked him down. ‘‘I sent him two or three replacement straps,’’ he said.
Sandford said the true Kiwi Jandal, which he owns the trademark for, has not changed in more than 55 years and still uses the same molecular formula the first pairs did. But although his formula has stayed the same he says the market has been flooded with imitations.
‘‘A lot of people think they own Jandals but in fact they do not,’’ he said. ‘‘People see a cheap $3 pair that look like Jandals at Countdown and think they’ve got a good deal. Jandals have a sturdy rubber sole that is very difficult to bend. The others are dangerous rubbish – they won’t last.’’
Occasionally he’ll fire off a legal letter to other companies like Havaianas or Lastseason.co.nz when they describe their thonged rubber sandals as ‘‘jandals’’.
This weekend, in a surprise announcement, Sandford let slip there would be a new version this summer, the first new product in decades. The new ‘‘J4’’ will feature a velcro back strap, making it near impossible to lose your Jandals in the surf or when running. The J1 is the classic jandal while the J2 is just for women. The J3, just for men. ‘‘We have a lot of customers in the Pacific Islands and they like to climb on rocks wearing them,’’ he said.
‘‘I said I’ll make them a Jandal with a back strap. The new ‘J4’ will lock the foot in place and will have a dual density rubber sole.’’
But how did Sandford come to own a piece of Kiwi history?
Truth is stranger than fiction in that regard. He acquired the company as Brierley Investments was carving up Skellerup Group, which used to produce Jandals in New Zealand in the 1950s.
The Jandal retained its market dominance largely due to import restrictions designed to protect local businesses like Skellerup. ‘‘When that was lifted we started to get all sorts of rubbish from all over the world imported.’’
Sandford had spent 30 years working for the Skellerup Group. As the company sold off its divisions Sandford found himself out of a job but the board threw him a lifeline in the form of a deal giving him the right to produce Jandals and plastic gumboots.
‘‘It was in a bad state,’’ he said. ‘‘I got a call saying we had just lost our last gumboot customer in New Zealand, it was a freezing works, do you still want to buy the company?’’
Sandford took on the challenge and soon carved out a market for his gumboots and Jandals, eventually selling the gumboot division.
Jandal sales are healthy, but the Jandal king lacks business heirs and admits he might ‘‘die in the saddle’’.
‘‘I took the job on as a hobby more than anything but it’s a hobby that takes up 50 hours a week,’’ he said.
None of his four children has followed him into the family business.
A lot of people think they own Jandals but in fact they do not. Baron Sandford