Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/984827
THE FOOTWEAR EYE W hat do 75 million wine corks have to do with footwear? The recycled wine stoppers, collected by North America's biggest cork recycler, are coming back to life in Sole's line of flips that is targeting outdoor, surf, better footwear and running stores. Sole is known for its pain reduction and orthopedic health footwear and insoles with the distinctive supportive shape in their products. In this new footwear collection, Sole says it is putting this same support in modern, low-profile sandals, some made with 100 percent recycled wine corks. The signature supportive shape molds to feet and are proven to improve bal- ance, posture and stability while reducing strain and preventing injury. Design features include a metatarsal pad for an added level of forefoot support and increased toe circulation, a deep heel cup that prevents overpronation and a sturdy, supportive arch that prevents successive arch strain. The collection includes Beach Flips, which feature the recycled cork footbeds and will retail at $60; Casual Flips, which is a splash-resistant sandal featuring a canvas upper and firm footbed made of 100 percent recycled wine corks, and Sports Flips, a versatile and water-friendly design that features a wear-moldable EVA footbed, dynamic metatarsal support, and cushioned synthetic straps with an ultra-soft polyester liner O Sole's Cork Story NEW LINE 10 • Footwear Insight ~ May/June 2018 footwearinsight.com Sole Casual flips. A pplied DNA Sciences has completed its one-year consortium research project with UK-based BLC Leather Technology Centre Limited (BLC) to apply and recover DNA tags throughout key processing phases of leather goods manufacturing. The project covered applying DNA to animals on a farm and test for recovery when hides were delivered to a tannery; applying DNA at the wet blue stage after initial tanning and test for recovery fol- lowing leather splitting on both grain leather and drop splits; and applying DNA during the leather finishing process and test for DNA recovery. The project proved the feasibility of DNA marking through the leather supply chain using the company's SigNature DNA. BLC is an independent leather technol- ogy center, working with hundreds of companies in more than 40 countries. BLC is a leather expert and delivers a range of leather-related services, such as testing, fault diagnosis, consulting, audit- ing, informational support and research. Established for over 90 years BLC has the technical pedigree in leather technology to ensure fast, accurate solutions to technical, management or environmental leather problems. Applied DNA is a provider of molecular technologies that enable supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, product genotyping and DNA mass production for diagnostics and therapeutics. Applied DNA makes life real and safe by providing innovative, molecular-based technology solutions and services that can help protect products, brands, entire supply chains, and intellectual property of companies, governments and consum- ers from theft, counterfeiting, fraud and diversion. The proprietary DNA-based "CertainT" platform can be used to iden- tify, tag, test, and track products, to help assure authenticity, origin, traceability, sustainability and quality of products. SigNature DNA describes the core tech- nology ingredient that is at the heart of a family of uncopiable, security and authen- tication solutions such as SigNatureT and fiberTyping, targeted towards textiles and apparel. BackTrac. All provide a forensic chain of evidence and can be used to prosecute perpetrators. Applied DNA Sciences is also engaged in the large-scale production of specific DNA sequences using the polymerase chain reaction. O Applied DNA Makes Strides With Leather DNA MARKING Applied DNA Sciences can now tag leather from farm to finished product.