SANTONI AND INNEX LAUNCH AN INNOVATIVE CONCEPT OF SAFETY FOOTWEAR, DESIGNED TO SAFEGUARD THE PLANET, AS WELL AS THE USER’S FOOT
Footwear production weighs heavily on the environment and our health; as a matter of fact, according to estimates from the World Trade Organization (WTO), around 23.2 billion pairs of shoes were produced in total in 2021 alone the world, approximately 9 million tons by weight. The footwear industry must find sustainable solutions to reduce, recover and recycle waste efficiently. It is necessary to create products differently, rethinking all manufacturing and raw material supply processes, to redefine the future of production. That’s the mission that led the collaboration between Innex and Santoni.
“We have developed an innovative and sustainable approach to footwear manufacturing that is set to reshape the entire industry,” says Patrick Silva Szatkowski, head of marketing, communications and business development at Santoni. “Traditionally, footwear manufacturing requires several parts, materials and a workforce. However, we are revolutionizing the process by combining our three-dimensional knitting technologies with Innex’s thirty-year experience and its many patents in the field of workplace safety footwear.” Their latest innovation is a shoe with a 3D upper, produced in knitting by Santoni’s XT-MACHINE, capable of adapting perfectly to the foot and protecting it during work, guaranteeing utmost breathability and comfort, thanks to the innovative technical components patented by Innex.
Santoni’s XT-MACHINE grants the production of three-dimensional uppers in single- or double-layer fabric, which offer comfort, lightness, performance and unparalleled quality, in just ten minutes and without any waste. By mapping the foot, the machine is able to position high-performance and completely recyclable yarns in the desired areas: TPU yarns with high resistance to abrasion or anti-cut in the areas of greatest stress, yarns made up of natural fibers where there is direct contact with the foot, to simultaneously guarantee maximum comfort and protection.
“By assembling the upper with the lightest and most breathable toe protection cap on the market and with the first footbed with active air circulation, which takes advantage of the weight of the body to produce air movement and cool the foot, we obtain a very light work shoe which, in addition to adapting perfectly to the foot, improving comfort and breathability, drastically reduce processing phases and times to create the shoe, shortening the entire production chain. Result: less transport for the supply of fabrics and accessories, no cutting, assembly, sewing and related movement of materials, or use of tools and machinery. All located in our territory, under the direct control of Innex, going through a single phase from the yarn to the complete upper.”
This approach offers several advantages, including faster production and greater flexibility, therefore less use of energy and production of CO2, as well as the least possible waste of raw materials: the shoe is actually only made up of the yarns necessary to produce the upper, eliminating waste material and the subsequent disposal of scraps. This shows that technology can be an essential tool to reduce the impact of industry on health and the environment, and this is an important step towards a more sustainable future.