PRODUCTS & SERVICES
WF
7
Packable boot to launch in
November
U
K footwear brand ButterflyTwists
has expanded its line of ‘foldable
footwear’ to include ButterflyTwists
foldable boots
(above)
.
ButterflyTwists boots were
launched in the UK in November and
are sceduled to launch in the US,
Japan and South Korea in December.
The boots feature a patented fold,
tuck and zip system to they can be
folded and packed in luggage. They
have soft micro-suede uppers and
moisture wicking linings.
“In designing these boots, we
wanted to create a design that would
be ideal for travelling but also an
everyday favourite,” said Mark
Quaradeghini, director.
Spenco claims new insole
offers “instant cooling”
T
exas-based footcare and footwear
products manufacturer Spenco
Medical Corporation has launched a
new insole product containing
temperature-control technology from
Outlast.
Spenco says the product, the
PolySorb FLOW Warm, will work well
in sports and outdoor footwear. An
ultra-thin layer of Outlast material in
the insole will capture natural body
heat, store it and release it as
required during any activity.
While the foot is in motion, air
channels within the insole compress
and expand to create heat circulation
between the insole and the shoe.
This air movement helps “normalise
the distribution of warm air,
eliminating hot and cold spots and
regulating heat retention”, the
company said on announcing the
product.
In addition, Spenco offers another
insole product that provides coolness
to hot feet, the FLOW Cool. As the
foot heats up during activity, jade in
the insole acts to slow down the
temperature rise. As a result, when
the foot comes into contact with the
insole, what Spenco refers to as “one
to two degrees of instant cooling”
occurs, extending to a possible three
degrees over a longer period of time.
EVA base material provides added
insulation and cushioning and is
treated with Aegis Antimicrobial to
reduce bacteria and odour.
Serbian town may get
new shoe factory
A
n Italian footwear manufacturer,
San Crispino, is planning to open a
new shoe factory in Serbia, according
to reports.
Serbian media said the company
owner, Silvano Rita, had carried out a
tour of a former textile factory in the
town of Zitiste and said it had the
potential to host a shoe production
plant. He suggested that there could
be scope for employing up to 140
workers there.
San Crispino also has operations in
Romania.
The Main Group at Simac
I
talian
footwear machinery
manufacturer the Main Group had a
range of its technology on display at
the 2011 Simac exhibition in Bologna,
in October.
The company featured working
models of its Ross 260 T soling
machine, the latest in the Ross series,
with a 260-tonne clamping force.
Also on display was the Pragma
direct injection machine and the
Omega PU injection machine. The
Main Group’s Delta rotary machine
for boots in thermoplastics, Eva
machine for soles and slipper
manufacture and Fullplastic rotary
machine were also exhibited.
Agra considers consortium
idea
T
he authorities in one of India’s
principal production centres for
leather and leather footwear, Agra in
the state of Uttar Pradesh, have
begun to examine the possibility of
combining individual production
units into consortia to “take on
China”.
Agra’s footwear industry is the
largest in India with an estimated
annual manufacturing value of almost
$2.1 billion. However, producers
there have begun to think that the
consortium model, in which
individual manufacturers will work
together, might be the best way to
win large export orders. The thinking
is that their combined manufacturing
capacity would allow them to
compete much better with rival
producers in China.
President of the Agra Footwear
Manufacturers & Exporters Chamber
(AFMEC), Puran Dawar, has told local
media: “We have mooted the idea and
our members are positive. The