The footwear industry has been transferring the comfort of soft-shell clothing to footwear and Swiss textile company Schoeller has launched new footwear and accessories using the stretch fabrics.

Soft-shell shoe are said to fit well and comfortably and be easy to slip on and off. In clothing it can also offer comfort and soft-shells can provide new optic impulse as well as water and dirt repelling properties.

The company’s Keprotec fabrics contain Kevlar fibres and are used for shoes and boots which have to meet high requirements in terms of robustness, durability and a long life cycle, combined with comfort.

The different footwear qualities in this product range and the similarly abrasion-proof ‘dynatec’ group offer further features such as breathability, good air permeability, full surface reflection, comfortable stretch or a high standard of fire- and cut-proofing.

Another feature is weight, and this ranges from extremely light fabric to the compact weight class. Lighter fabrics with good stability are being used more and more for running, sailing, tennis or athletic shoes.

The company also uses modern reflex fabrics, textiles with the new semi-transparency, 3D structures and lots of gold, silver, copper and metallic variations. Other fabrics from the spirit line and stretch fabrics from the dynamic and the dynamic-extreme range also combine a cool appearance with modern function.

Finishing techniques include NanoSphere technology, which offers water and stain protection, 3XDRY, which provides active moisture management, ActiveSilver for antimicrobial protection and freshness and schoeller PCM for temperature regulation. Combined with the ‘c_change’ membrane technology, which opens or closes depending on temperature and moisture, the new footwear is wind and water proof and ensures a feelgood climate.

Accessories in the range include the reflective schoolbag, the evening bag in ‘glow-in-the-dark’ fabric, the semi-transparent bag, the suitcase with a NanoSphere finish, the cut-proof tool case and the soft, water-repelling soft-shell.