Lenzing and Coats Footwear unite for ‘footwear first’
Coats Footwear, formed following the bringing together of Coats-owned shoe components and materials manufacturers Texon and Rhenoflex in June, has allied with manmade cellulosic fibres producer Lenzing in what they are calling an industry “first”.
Their breakthrough takes the form of a pair of “synthetic-free” athletic shoes made from Lenzing’s Tencel-branded, wood-based lyocell filament blended with wool and “other bio-based materials” using ProWeave jacquard technology. The resulting performance uppers and fabrics have been engineered to deliver an adaptive, second-skin fit.
Business leader for ProWeave at Coats Footwear, Paul Jackson, said: “Together, we’re revolutionising the way uppers and materials can be made, giving footwear brands and manufacturers the chance to build sustainable products with zero constraints on creativity.”
French company Circle Sportswear will show prototypes of its SuperNatural Runner shoes featuring this new textile technology at trade show Lineapelle in Milan (September 19-21).
Image courtesy of Circle Sportswear.
