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Sympatex to show Utmospheric inner shoe at Lineapelle

13 Sep '19
3 min read
Pic: Sympatex
Pic: Sympatex

Sympatex is set to display the pilot production slots of Utmospheric, a seamless, no-stitch three-dimensional waterproof inner shoe, for 2020/2021 winter season, at Lineapelle, in hall 22P M11-M19/N12-N20. The international exhibition of leather, accessories, components, fabrics, synthetics, and models will be held from October 2-4, 2019, in Milan.

Sympatex relied on automotive manufacturing experience to develop a highly automated production technology that allows the company to permanently give its laminate a three-dimensional form. Utmospheric is created through a thermal forming process to produce a seamless and crease-free inner booty that perfectly adapts to the foot, all without affecting the quality or functionality of the laminate. Utmospheric is manufactured on fully automated production line and then integrated directly into the existing upper production process. In combination with optimised textile materials, the sustainable polyester-based, high-performance Sympatex membrane offers the ideal base material, according to a press release by the company.

Although the injection moulding of shoe soles is meanwhile a highly-industrialised process, production of the shoe upper still involves painstaking manual labour, especially if the shoe needs to be reliably waterproof and breathable at the same time to ensure a pleasant foot climate regardless of the weather conditions. To date, the functional laminate that is required has only been available in two-dimensional form, which means extensive manual labour is needed to ‘design’ a three- dimensional foot form that is then integrated into the upper as an inner booty. The unavoidable cutting and stitching inevitably harms the membrane however, so that the waterproofness ultimately has to be reconstructed with the help of tape, a time-consuming step. While this has been a common approach in the shoe industry, these days are finally over.

The Utmospheric approach offers multiple advantages. Elimination of the manual production process reduces both the production time and manual labour. In addition, material savings are incurred by fully eliminating the need for tape, which more than offsets the additional costs for the machines. At the same time, the high degree of automation guarantees reliable waterproofness, thus leading to a product with a consistently higher level of quality that no longer requires time-consuming inspection. End customers will also feel the difference. By eliminating the stitching, wearing comfort is noticeably increased. And through the process, the breathability of the laminate is twice as high as comparable materials that have been used to date. Finally, the inherent stretch properties of the Sympatex membrane and the laminate ensure a natural, anatomic fit – regardless of the weather or activity. (GK)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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