Footwear Insight

footwearinsight.com September/October 2018 ~ Footwear Insight • 17 Brands Weigh in On What Knit Uppers Have to Offer in Outdoor Styles. By Cara Griffin Knit it Up SAM BARSTOW, FORSAKE. "The main benefit of a knit upper is that the material is very flexible and stretches to fit your foot for a sock like feel with no break in period. Knit uppers are also lightweight and breathable." GIUSEPPE CIAVARRO, THE EASTMAN GROUP. "Air ventilation, comfort fit (molding to the feet), easy care, machine washable, lightweight for performance, packable, sleek aesthetic, multipurpose." CHRISTOPH HÜHNERBEIN, MAMMUT. "Mammut uses knit uppers to improve flexibility as well as durability and to reduce pressure points. In addition to enhanced performance due to abra- sion resistance, this technology provides a distinct technical modern look together with the ability to offer specific functional areas." GREG THOMSEN, ADIDAS OUTDOOR. "A knitted upper provides lightweight breathability, stretch and flexibility, ensuring comfort while on long hikes or trail runs. The Primeknit, specifically, has all those qualities, in addition to water repellency for wet terrain. Aesthetically, knitted shoes enable designers to utilize more creative approaches with colors, textures and patterns embracing today's trends as seen on the runways." MARK MATTHEWS, SCARPA. "The benefits of a knit upper include reduced weight, significantly increased breathability, improved packability, simpli- fied shoe construction and the ability to zonally knit the fabric to increase structure in certain areas where needed and reduce in areas where it's not needed. You can also offer some pretty cool graphic and texture ele- ments in knit uppers to enhance the aesthetics." GABRIEL PHILLIPS, DANNER. "There are quite a number of reasons to utilize engineered knitting, which is why we see it in the market so frequently today. This type of manufacturing makes it possible to incorporate a wide variety of features into a single component. It might have an incorporated tongue, for instance, or designate specific zones with breathable and high abrasion knit patterns, creating a lightweight upper that is both strong yet flexible. All this in a single piece also allows the final product to be made with fewer seams (which are typically weak points). And though it does allow for a wide variety of aesthetics, one of my favorite benefits to knitting is actually in waste reduction. Where typical manufacturing is reductive, cutting smaller shapes out of a larger one, this is an additive process. When a piece is finished being knit, that's it. Like making a scarf, you just cut the thread at the end. The scrap material leftover is almost nothing." MATTHEW ROSS, BODY GLOVE FOOTWEAR (SURF9). "It's extremely comfortable and it dries quickly." BLANE CONRAD, OLUKAI. "The benefits are endless and more about the end use. When we design a knit we always ask what are people going to wear this shoe for, what's its purpose, and then we build accordingly. Breathability, lightweight, quick dry, hydrophobic, pattern, endless colors, etc." Q Q MARK MATTHEWS, SCARPA. "Yes. It is a great new technology when used in the appropriate application." G A B R I E L P H I L L I P S , D A N N E R . "As long as there is a real problem that engineered knitting solves for, I think we will continue seeing it in the market beyond fashion trends of the season. Its versatility provides a wide range of uses, which helps create staying power. Though the technology doesn't do every- thing, it is a good option to have in the tool box." KRISTIN HERRMANN-RATZ, W.L. GORE & ASSOCIATES. "Yes, many brands are creating knitted soft conformable uppers, it's a terrific look and there are more options now than in the past. Teams are looking to expand and push knit into areas where it hasn't been before." GREG THOMSEN, ADIDAS OUTDOOR. "Definitely. Adidas has been designing knitted shoes for many years. We are seeing this trend across the board in the fashion, casual lifestyle and performance categories. Designing shoes with knitted uppers enables product designers to get creative about ways to make products more sus- tainable, extremely important for consumers as they become more conscious of the products they purchase. Adidas is committed to expanding the use of knit products for both performance reasons and the efficiency of the no-waste knitting process." SAM BARSTOW, FORSAKE. "Yes, knit uppers are here for good; they're too comfortable to fade away!" GIUSEPPE CIAVARRO, THE EASTMAN GROUP. "Knit is becoming a seasonless staple. It's only going to get bigger." BLANE CONRAD, OLUKAI. "There are endless possibilities with knit uppers, so yes, they are here to stay — but constantly evolving. We will continue to push the boundaries on how we engineer, reinforce and what we ask knit uppers to do. At a base level they are extremely comfortable and built for barefoot wear, which is critical to our island lifestyle brand." CHRISTOPH HÜHNERBEIN, MAMMUT. "Knitted fabrics will be even more relevant in the future and thus a valid alternative upper material besides leather and woven fabrics. The benefits for the customers are numerous. Mammut will extend its efforts on dis- tinctive knitting styles. Due to technical development and cost optimization the knit upper is already very competitive compared to other options used in footwear manufacturing today." MATTHEW ROSS, BODY GLOVE FOOTWEAR (SURF9). "Any trend that is both functional and stands out has a good chance to stick around for a long time." What are the benefits of a knit upper? Are knit uppers here to stay?

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