Footwear Insight

Eco-Responsible Textile Tech Strides into Footwear TRENDS ECO INNOVATION By Emily Walzer T here is a movement afoot in the textile world when it comes to eco-responsibility in footwear. As consumers and brands (and governments) con- tinue to advocate for more sustainable developments to reduce environmental impacts, responsible products and practices are also gaining traction. Recycled polyester, recycled nylon, recycled wool and recycled rubber, along with waterless dyeing methods and eco performance membranes are all in the pipeline. While "eco" is certainly not a new term to the footwear world, the truth is that the complexity in footwear production has hindered growth of eco-responsible performance fibers and fabrics in footwear. However, that's changing now that textile ingredient makers increasingly view shoes as an arena ripe for sustainability. An anti-wicking, PFAS-free treatment from Green Theme Technologies, recycled nylon 66 by Cordura and collaborative advances in wool for footwear end-use from Woolmark and Suedwolle are ushering in a new era of environmentally minded footwear textiles. Better for the Environment and for Product Performance "Footwear is the next place where we'll see forward movement in terms of a sustainability trajectory," states Martin Flora, VP business develop- ment, and founder of Green eme Technologies (GTT). It's not that the footwear community isn't interested in, or knowledgeable about, sustainability, but rather that when it comes to adopting a new tech- nology for footwear, especially one that is high-performing and PFC-free, it is really difficult to do. Flora explains, "With footwear, the manufacturing process is detailed and complicated and lead times are long. In addition to engineering expertise and talented creative design, advancing footwear innovation requires sophistication about fabric." at's where GTT comes in. e application process is key. "We apply directly to the surface and use pressure to encapsulate each fiber, so all the wicking points are blocked," Flora explains. Driving the chemistry into the fabric increases performance and durability. GTT's high-performance anti-wick- ing PFAS-free finish is 10 times the industry standard. According to Flora, "we easily go 24 hours in a wicking bath whereas the routine time period is two hours." Anti-wicking in footwear is an important functional element as it focuses on moisture pickup in the fabric and moisture going through the fabric, criteria that goes beyond surface tension to keep the shoe dry and comfortable. GTT is in the process of signing a license with Taiwanese company Golden Long John, a leading footwear supplier globally, to install GTT tech in its factories. In addition, Green eme is currently working with sev- eral global footwear brands in the sport and outdoor markets. Shoes featuring the Empel anti-wicking PFAS-free tech are slated to be commercially available in 2023. Foray into Footwear Cordura's re/cor Recycled Nylon 66 fabric makes its debut in the foot- wear category with qualities from mill partner Tiong Liong Corporation. Recently Cordura announced that Material ConneXion has accepted the Cordura re/cor RN66 onto its plat- form; the 10-piece collection, which features two new footwear styles, will be showcased through both online and physical Material ConneXion libraries globally. Material ConneXion is a leading material insights company with head- quarters in New York City and libraries located in Bangkok, Daegu, Milan, Skövde, and Tokyo. The expansion of Cordura re/ cor RN66 fabric adoption into the footwearinsight.com September/October 2022 ~ Footwear Insight • 11 Advances in knitting techniques offer more sophisticated wool footwear designs. "Wool is the future material; it has the advantage of designing for circularity." Alexander Behm, STOLL by Karl Mayer

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