A NEW SUSTAINABLE FIBRE
PRICING AND PROMISE
Ms Stangl feels that for too many years and at far too
many footwear brands, the higher price of recycled,
renewable and sustainable components–including
linings–has been used as an excuse not to buy. She likens it
to a classic ‘Catch 22’ situation where with high volume
orders, costs will come down but, without them, pricing will
remain high and may move even higher as raw material
prices escalate. Those brands bold enough to spend the extra
pennies per pair on environmentally friendly fabrics may now
unfortunately never see lower prices unless joined by enough
others to reach a tipping point. And that is exactly where
Faytex finds itself with regard to these Sorona-based fabrics.
Although the price of Sorona fibres has gone up over the
past year, the actual cost impact per pair of shoes is actually
very small. In fact, Ms Stangl goes so far as to say that,
“Should some of the larger footwear brands begin to order in
volume we can almost guarantee price reductions as the cost
of Sorona-based fabrics will inch closer to those of virgin
polyester. Price will not be the factor it is now, and the planet
will be just a little bit greener.”
Indeed, she observes that, “At the end of the day, if we’re
not thinking about our children, their children and future
generations then we’re really not doing our part are we? The
history of the green movement is loaded with failure at
consumer level and I can understand the hesitancy of some
brands to keep on experimenting. But we’re getting closer to
the point where making the decision to specify eco-friendly
fabrics is a no-brainer.”
Recent comments from one of the above-named big shoe
brands will encourage her. Asher Clark, had this to say about
using the new fabric in the Terra Plana brand of shoes: “We
like to use the Dri-lex Sorona fabric because it performs
better than any lining we have ever used and we really
respect the company’s commitment to performance and
sustainability.” For Terra Plana, Clark places great emphasis
on sustainable design, adapting the mantra of the three Rs:
reduce, re-use and recycle. Examples include using no glue in
some of the designs and instead stitching a sole straight onto
a chrome-free leather upper. Clearly, Sorona also has a part
to play in this.
In the meantime, Faytex will continue to add to its
extensive range of green fabrics featuring Sorona as well as
those with Repreve recycled polyester content and remains
confident that it will be in a position to deliver the right
product at the right time for all its customers. In itself, Sorona
does indeed appear to be an exceptionally good fibre in terms
of performance and foot comfort. Its sustainability is also to
be welcomed, for as long as corn is grown to feed livestock,
the raw material will be readily available to produce it at no
loss to either the human or farming food chains, unlike its
use in bio-fuels.
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