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Prize fighters

Prize fighters

A revamped format for the ISPO Award programme has given footwear its own category. In 2022, 12 different shoe, boot and footwear technology ideas were among the winners.   The ISPO events in Munich have re-emerged in changed forms since covid-19. The pandemic brought major disruption to ISPO Munich and OutDoor by ISPO in 2020, 2021 and...
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07 March 2023
Waves of change Waves of change
Technologies including ultrasound waves and digital printing promise to usher in a new generation of cleantech solutions for traditional wet processes.
14 December 2022
Old school meets new school Old school meets new school
The vibrant and entrepreneurial community of climbers in California in the 1960s and 70s spawned many of the brands that have shaped today’s outdoor industry.
07 December 2022
Lawmakers take on fashion Lawmakers take on fashion
Can two proposed bills — one state and one federal — harness US law to mitigate fashion’s social and environmental impacts globally?
30 November 2022
A new day is dawning A new day is dawning
Brands are giving themselves plenty of time to bring circular footwear programmes to market, but, for innovative companies in the shoe supply chain, work to develop the materials those programmes will need is already under way.
23 November 2022
New leadership at Foot Locker New leadership at Foot Locker
With Richard Johnson retiring, new Foot Locker CEO, Mary Dillon, might be exactly what the sportswear and apparel retailer needs.
16 November 2022
From forests to footwear midsoles From forests to footwear midsoles
It only became a player in the $30 billion global market for MEG (mono-ethylene glycol) recently, but UPM Biochemicals..
09 November 2022
PFAS have an Achilles’ heel PFAS have an Achilles’ heel
Problematic chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have been present in moisture protection technologies for years, but time appears to be running out for them.
02 November 2022
A new crop of biomaterials A new crop of biomaterials
The agricultural and food industries generate waste products that can yield valuable raw materials to make fibres or dyestuffs... but only if the cellulose or colouring agents from these leftovers can be cost-competitively extracted and scaled.
26 October 2022
Plastic-free performance Plastic-free performance
Concerned by microplastics and seeking to avoid materials derived from fossil fuels, a few pioneering active and sportswear brands are taking the radical decision to phase out synthetics in the belief that nature knows best.
05 October 2022
Innovation in seaming Innovation in seaming
A combination of welding techniques may provide a new solution to a critical feature of performance outdoor clothing: making watertight and airtight seams.
28 September 2022
Double discs Double discs
Footwear brand Altra has partnered with lacing system specialist Boa to create its latest long-range trail-running shoe, the Mont Blanc. It uses not one but two Boa discs on each shoe.
20 September 2022
Lightweight protection Lightweight protection
An idea that began as a way of reducing foam waste has opened up wide­-reaching opportunities for apparel group MAS Holdings in the field of protective clothing for sports, health and wellbeing.
14 September 2022
Vital statistics Vital statistics
The stage is set for a summer 2022 launch of Zozofit, an accessible – and highly accurate – wearable 3D body-measuring system designed to track physical transformation from the comfort of home, the gym or wherever else one gets their wellness fix.
17 August 2022
The quest for common metrics The quest for common metrics
The need to back sustainable practices with bona fide third-party certification has led to the development of countless labels and standards serving the varied environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies of brands and retailers.
10 August 2022
Higg MSI claims under scrutiny Higg MSI claims under scrutiny
The Higg Materials Sustainability Index has often been the object of criticism and debate, but an investigation conducted by the Norwegian Consumer Authority into Higg-based marketing claims has added the question of liability to the conversation.
03 August 2022
rPET’s future is in danger rPET’s future is in danger
Authorities and organisations are taking an increasingly critical look at sustainability claims to expose instances of greenwashing.
22 June 2022
Seven concerns about sustainability Seven concerns about sustainability
A report from Eco-Age raises serious questions about the way brands and campaign groups in the textile and clothing industry present sustainability claims at the moment. The call for change is loud.
15 June 2022
Out of this world Out of this world
Adidas’ director of footwear innovation, Arnau Sanjuan, tells WSA how software program Gravity Sketch is changing his approach to shoe design.
08 June 2022
Out in the open Out in the open
Running and ski mountaineering star Kílian Jornet has launched a new footwear, clothing and accessories brand with Mallorca-based footwear group Camper.
25 May 2022
Alternative carbon blacks Alternative carbon blacks
The development of black inks and pigments that are derived from sources other than petroleum and are even proven to be carbon-negative could be a game-changer in the apparel industry and beyond.
18 May 2022
Carving up territory Carving up territory
Mapping new fibres and textile terrain would appear to come naturally to Finnish renewable fibre producer Spinnova.
11 May 2022
Next generation biopolyesters Next generation biopolyesters
The polyester family includes a wide array of biopolymers that have long-standing uses in plastics and are being tested for their potential in apparel.
04 May 2022
Nylon in many shades of green Nylon in many shades of green
Recycled, biobased, biotech, made from cleaner processes or difficult-to-treat waste, the new nylon yarns that are in development cover an array of carbon footprint-reducing measures.
03 May 2022
The pace picks up The pace picks up
Sustainability remains firmly on the agenda of almost every sports and outdoor company in 2022. More than that, a detailed new report insists that, as a result of covid-19 and the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the pace of change towards sustainable materials and practices is accelerating.
19 April 2022
Graphene keeps on giving Graphene keeps on giving
Engineering company Versarien sees vast potential for graphene to add beneficial properties to textiles and sportswear, with research unlocking new properties and applications.
11 April 2022
Second chance for circular suede Second chance for circular suede
Puma has launched an experimental shoe collection that will test strengths (durability) and weaknesses (biodegradability) and determine if industrial composting could create value as fertiliser at the end their useable life.
06 April 2022
A bright outlook A bright outlook
For international winter sports brands, the issues of how to harness the energy around Beijing 2022 and grow market share in China are of standout importance. Particularly in the current, ever-changing, climate.
29 March 2022
Biodegradable breakthrough Biodegradable breakthrough
New synthetic yarns that biodegrade in landfill hundreds of times faster than ordinary polyester have caught the eye of running apparel brand Pressio.
16 March 2022
Cellulose from cotton comes full circle Cellulose from cotton comes full circle
Processing cotton waste to reprieve its cellulose content is one of the more advanced chemical recycling processes in development. The companies in this field are optimising their technologies and securing feedstock to keep operations going as they begin to scale up.
08 March 2022
New momentum for smart textiles New momentum for smart textiles
Two accelerator and innovation programmes, SmartX and SmartEEs, believe collaboration is key to unlocking opportunities in smart textiles. Promising projects selected by these platforms have access to a network of research centres, consultants in textiles and electronics, along with potential business partners and investors.
01 March 2022
Unwanted legacy: chemicals in textile waste Unwanted legacy: chemicals in textile waste
Hazardous chemicals in textile waste has slipped under the radar for many promoters of a circular economy. A study into this issue finds risk to be low, but real. It brings to light the need for more research and increased traceability, but also brings into question the evolution of standards, and may introduce a new snag in the possibility of closing the loop.
15 December 2021
Smart, seamless, zero-waste production Smart, seamless, zero-waste production
Long before the pandemic put a damper on a well-oiled, but rampant, global apparel supply chain, enterprising companies were investing in and developing new solutions to address overproduction. Micro-factories, 3D knitting and digital platforms are some of the technologies that could fix a few of the more glaring kinks in the garment-making process.
30 November 2021
A new chapter for Carbios A new chapter for Carbios
The inauguration of a demonstration plant marks a new milestone for trailblazing, ten-year-old French biotech start-up Carbios. This will serve to further validate its enzymatic recycling process for all forms of PET, plastics and textiles, and pave the way for the next stage, a facility with the capacity to recycle 40,000 tonnes per year.
18 November 2021
A yarn for climate change A yarn for climate change
Swiss textile technology developer HeiQ has launched AeoniQ, a recyclable, biodegradable cellulose-based yarn that it says offers the ease-of-use, the performance levels, the versatility, the affordability and the scalability to allow the textile industry to consign polyester and nylon to the past.
25 October 2021
Fruit and fibre Fruit and fibre
In this article, Enrica Arena, co-founder and chief executive of Orange Fiber (which has patented a method for making textile fibre from the pulp of citrus fruit) and Gert Kroner, vice president of global research and development at cellulose fibre group Lenzing, peel back the layers to give us the squeeze on a recently unveiled partnership.
20 October 2021
No place like home No place like home
A project to grow flax, spin and weave linen and produce clothing has sprung to life in Blackburn, Lancashire. Organisers harbour hope that it could spark a wider revival of textiles and garment manufacturing there.
11 October 2021
Born again fibres Born again fibres
Demand for regenerated fibres is so strong that the contracts Finnish group Infinited Fiber signs this year will tie up all of the production capacity of its new, flagship factory for years to come. It is already working on other ways of “radically improving” the availability of the material. In recent weeks, outdoor brand Patagonia..
04 October 2021
From carbon neutral to carbon negative From carbon neutral to carbon negative
Carbon dioxide is a leading contributor to global warming, and central to emissions reduction targets, which are set more often than met. It is also, potentially, a feedstock for chemicals and materials.
21 September 2021
Smarter thermal insulation Smarter thermal insulation
The addition of gold, graphene and aerogels is boosting the performance properties of synthetic fillers and natural down. New circular solutions are also being introduced as demand for recycled down drives research into automating the extraction of the precious clusters from used clothes.
08 September 2021
PFAS on borrowed time PFAS on borrowed time
Both the European Union and the United States plan to institute stricter legislation, which may include outright bans, for PFAS. Whether these cover the entire class of chemicals has yet to be seen, but pressure is mounting and there is now strong momentum behind calls to phase these chemicals out for good.
21 July 2021
Digging into South Korea’s Green New Deal Digging into South Korea’s Green New Deal
Famed for its technological innovation, South Korea is now also investing heavily in low-emission, climate-neutral development strategies at a typically fast pace. Moving towards circularity by nurturing a robust recycling strategy appears to be front of mind for the nation’s leading textile enterprises.
13 July 2021
The art of the sneaker on show The art of the sneaker on show
Some trendy styles may ‘run’ out of stock, some may never leave the box once purchased, but sneakers do have miles of cultural traction. A major exhibition at London’s Design Museum, Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street, focuses on this ubiquitous shoe, highlighting the sneaker as a universal design object.
07 July 2021
Passion empowered Passion empowered
Polartec is marking the thirtieth anniversary of the formal launch of the brand by celebrating fabrics and garments that, since 1991, have changed what we wear when we go into the outdoors.
30 June 2021
From tracing to closing the loop From tracing to closing the loop
New tools are making it easier to keep track of products throughout the supply chain. Used not only to certify the presence of sustainable content, such as organic cotton or ocean plastics, these tools can now trace a product’s entire lifecycle.

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