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London, United Kingdom, 04/23/2008 – Report Buyer, the online destination for business intelligence for major industry sectors, has added a new report analysing the specialist footwear market.
“Fibres And Fabrics For Performance Footwear” reports that the demand for specialist footwear fibres and fabrics is increasing rapidly. The increase stems partly from a growing awareness of the health and safety benefits of wearing footwear designed for specific sports, activities and occupations.
The specialist footwear market may be divided into two categories: footwear for sports and recreation; and footwear for safety at work.
Authors of the report note that, in the case of sports footwear, one of the main market drivers is the ability of the shoe to improve the performance of the wearer. In some sectors, such as football boots, this feature is regarded by companies such as Adidas and Nike as being more important than cost. Fabric manufacturers are therefore being encouraged to develop high performance products which continually push the boundaries in terms of weight, moisture management properties and grip.
They further note that, in the case of footwear for work, by contrast, one of the main market drivers is the need to meet ever more stringent safety regulations governing the workplace. For this reason, the performance of the shoe remains of high importance.
The report shows that fabrics for footwear include those which are flame retardant, those which provide anti-static properties and those which regulate the temperature of the foot- and many footwear manufacturers are utilising a number of advances in performance fabrics to impart these characteristics. One way of regulating the temperature of the foot, for example, is to incorporate phase-change materials, such as those contained in Thermocules produced by Outlast Technologies.
The study further shows that a number of performance fibres and fabrics incorporating new properties are being introduced to the market to replace or improve existing materials. Also, consumer demand is growing for products which are "environmentally-friendly". These demands are being met in several ways-by, for example, using blends of Fosshield antimicrobial and Ecospun recycled polyester fibres, or by ensuring that the methods and materials used during manufacture are not harmful to the environment.
“Fibres And Fabrics For Performance Footwear” is available from Report Buyer. For more information, see website.
Report Buyer product ID: TXI00029
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