Biggest apparel innovation for 30 years announced by Nike
Sports group Nike has launched what it is calling its “most significant apparel innovation” for 30 years, one that will “reset the way we think about fleece”.
With its new product, Nike Forward, it has moved away from knit and woven processes. The new material turns fibre directly into textile using needle-punch technology and “simplifies the process of material fabrication by reducing steps”.
Rather than follow a multistage cycle of spinning yarn, knitting, cutting, sewing and finishing, Nike Forward involves fewer steps, leading to an average of 75% reduction in the carbon footprint of the material it produces compared to traditional knit fleece.
The company said five years’ research had gone into this development. It added that the resulting material has a lighter density than traditional knit fleece and that the finished product contains 70% recycled content by weight.
“This is the biggest Nike apparel innovation since Dri-Fit 30 years ago,” said the group’s vice-president for global apparel product merchandising, Aaron Heiser. “It has huge potential to transform the industry.”
