Coats launches trio of structural components for sustainable footwear (#1682735)

Industrial yarns and components specialist Coats Group is leveraging its footwear division while boosting its sustainability credentials, launching three “innovative” structural component products “designed to support footwear brands in their pursuit of sustainable excellence”.

As part of the Coats Footwear Rhenoprint range, the 'RP Evolve' heel cup, 'RP Flow' and 'RP Wave' toe caps are designed “to improve performance standards, whilst maximizing the use of sustainable materials and minimizing waste”.

Designed to be eco-friendly and certified to the Global Recycling Standard (GRS), all three products claim to offer top-notch performance.

RP Evolve is a zero-waste heel cup solution made from 70% recycled materials. Completely free of virgin polyester and GRS certified, it can help manufacturers reduce the carbon footprint of their footwear, “without giving up any of the characteristics required for high-performance applications.”

Fully customizable, the RP Evolve fits a variety of footwear needs (great for running shoes, athletic shoes, and lifestyle sneakers, it says). It is also waterproof, making it “reliable in its performance in difficult conditions.”

Meanwhile, The RP Flow toe cap is a solution to meet the high demands of sports and high-performance footwear. It is made with 70% recycled content, including R-TPU and R-acrylic glass. In line with the growing demand for green manufacturing solutions, RP Flow has a zero-waste production process that can help optimize material use. Its waterproof and durable properties make this product suitable for high performance applications.

AND The RP Wave toe features 70% recycled materials, again including R-TPU, R-acrylic glass and recycled bottle closures. Also backed by GRS certification, it offers “the medium to high stiffness necessary for high pressure and high temperature applications.”

Gunter Scharfenberger, Global Director of Product Innovation Sustainability at Coats Footwear, said: “Our [latest] The technologies embody the continuous research and innovation for which we are known. Designed to help our customers achieve their sustainability goals in footwear manufacturing, these eco-friendly solutions reflect our dedication to driving meaningful progress towards a more sustainable future.”

Coat, best known for its apparel applications and performance materials, entered the footwear sector in 2022. In the first half, footwear-related revenue increased 7% and the company said its apparel and footwear divisions “ “They continued to benefit from a return to normalized levels of customer service.” purchasing and inventory patterns, with both divisions showing strong year-on-year growth…albeit versus a weaker prior year comparator due to the impact of stock reduction in 2023.”