PrimaLoft Recycled
Brand: PrimaLoft
History: PrimaLoft, a division of 100-year-old industrial textile firm Albany International Corp., was originally created for the U.S. military, which tapped the Albany, N.Y.-based company to develop an alternative to down. In 1989, Catalog retailer L.L. Bean became the first to use PrimaLoft in its outdoor apparel.
How it works: PrimaLoft is a lightweight, water-resistant microfiber fabric. The fibers trap the warm air surrounding the foot and hold heat in the shoe while at the same time allowing moisture vapor to escape, so feet stay warm and dry.
Footwear specifics: The company developed a shoe-specific version of the fiber in 2002, and now counts 14 footwear brands as clients. "The North Face is our biggest [client], and Keen is using us exclusively," said Tom Mendl, marketing director for PrimaLoft, noting that footwear makes up 10 percent of the brand's overall business.
What's new: PrimaLoft Recycled is the company's first recycled product. Made of 55 percent recycled fibers, the new material performs and costs the same as the original. "There has been ... a very big push to get some recycled content in everything," Mendl said. "All of our products are made from polyester, and polyester is oil-based."
End use: PrimaLoft Recycled will target the outdoor market, including hunting and ski boots.
Availability: Spring '08. While Mendl declined to name names, he did say, "Everyone is very excited about it - especially the more environmentally conscious companies. They're sampling it and we are hoping they start adopting it for spring." PrimaLoft Recycled will be available in three weights for footwear: 100 grams, 200 grams and 400 grams.
Sympatex Reflexion
Brand: Sympatex
History: Introduced in 1985, the technology was developed by Sympatex North America, a division of Munich, Germany-based Sympatex. (The company's North American headquarters are in Hampton, N.H.)
How it works: Sympatex is a polyester-based hydrophilic windproof and waterproof breathable membrane. The membrane acts as a mini-climate-control mechanism, allowing perspiration to escape while keeping outside moisture from entering the shoe.
Footwear specifics: According to Dennis Hannon, GM of Sympatex N.A., footwear is a "significant" part of the business and includes clients as diverse as Timberland, Nike Golf, Adidas and Dr. Martens.
What's new: Sympatex Reflexion features a thin layer of aluminum deposited on the membrane. As a result, the material is not only windproof and waterproof, it's breathable and thermo-reflective - meaning it radiates heat back to the body. According to Hannon, independent studies have shown that the material reflects 75 percent of the body's heat, which is equivalent to 200 grams of traditional insulation material. By replacing traditional insulation with Sympatex Reflexion, footwear is less bulky.
End use: Designed primarily for outdoor footwear, such as the work, hunting and mountaineering segments, Sympatex Reflexion can also be used in casual shoes.
Availability: "Commercial quantities of the product have only been available since March of last year, and since then we have done a lot of lamination trials and field testing," Hannon said. For fall '07, Timberland will debut Sympatex Reflexion in its Pro workboot line (above).
Thinsulate Zone Insulation
Brand: Thinsulate
History: Researchers at St. Paul, Minn.-based parent company 3M developed Thinsulate while experimenting with non-woven microfiber technology. Found to provide insulation properties, the material was first introduced in the apparel market in 1978.
How it works: Made of extremely fine fibers, Thinsulate acts as an insulator by trapping the body's own warmth in the form of air, in addition to reflecting back the body's radiant heat.
Footwear specifics: Thinsulate was first available for use in footwear in 1983.
Today, the brand's client list includes Merrell, L.L. Bean, LaCrosse, Timberland, Patagonia and Sorel.
What's new: Thinsulate Zone Insulation lets manufacturers customize their insulation needs. "Instead of using one type or one weight of [Thinsulate] footwear product and putting it in the entire boot, it allows us to specially engineer the insulation for optimal performance and warmth," said Rick Hardy, business communications manager for Thinsulate Insulation. Vendors can mix and match the full range of products for footwear: 100- and 200-gram Thinsulate Insulation as well as 400-, 600-, 800- and 1,000-gram Thinsulate Ultra Insulation.
End use: The new Zone technology can be applied to outdoor activities, such as hiking and snowshoeing, as well as to the work category. "For example, the utility worker who needs a [boot with] lighter-weight insulation in the ankle area so he can move around easily, but [who also needs more insulation in the toe box] because he is standing around a lot," said Hardy.
Availability: Hardy was mum on the details, but consumers can expect to see the first outdoor footwear product featuring Thinsulate Zone Technology . |
