Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) will be presenting an innovation that meets the increasing demands of manufacturers and consumers alike in the footwear market. Made from nonwoven fabric, the innovative crimping material optimally combines high permanent moldability and shape retention with flexibility and suppleness. This unique crimping material enables manufacturers to reduce their production costs while consumers benefit from increased comfort. The world’s leading supplier of innovative technical textiles will present the innovation for the first time at the Milan Lineapelle trade show from February 19-21.
Consumers are increasingly looking for ever softer, more flexible and at the same time fashionable shoes. This in turn places greater demands on shoe manufacturers in terms of production technology. Freudenberg’s innovative nonwoven-based crimping material succeeds in reconciling the demands of consumers with the associated technical challenges for manufacturers.
The advantages at a glance:
Multi-directional stretching properties
In contrast to knitted linings, the material’s multi-directional stretching properties enable uniform longitudinal and transverse stretching over the entire vamp area.
Lower production costs
Compared to conventional knitted fabric-based crimping materials, faster thermoplastic moldability means shorter production times and thus significantly reduced manufacturing costs.
Improved fitting
The crimping material offers better shaping, last-true vamp mold retention and optimum shape and stability. Even after more than 72 hours of wear, the molded vamp still retains 100 percent of its true lasted shape.
Optimum wearing comfort and greater design freedom
The material’s extremely fine fibers allow shoes to be designed that are very soft in character and provide optimum comfort. At the same time, the exceptionally high cutting-edge stability increases the range of creative design possibilities.
Reduced weight
The significantly lower weight-to-area ratio of the nonwoven-based crimping material reduces the weight of the shoe while at the same time ensuring better shape retention.
