The challenge of making sustainable footwear

July 31, 2023  |  Features

A single method to calculate and mitigate the negative environmental impact of footwear is much needed. The European Commission is promoting the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), designed to offer a single method to calculate, and perhaps as important, to communicate the environmental performan…
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A new world in sustainable footwear

July 17, 2023  |  Features

When Nike launched its Flyknit trainer in 2012, it kickstarted a new era in sustainable footwear. The one-piece uppers, knit on a flat machine, created 60 percent less waste than traditional construction. The transition to recycled polyester (rPET) yarns in 2016 added to the brand’s sustainability…
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The innovation ecosystem in advanced textiles

June 26, 2023  |  Features

Billionaire investor Raymond Dalio, founder and chairman of Bridgewater Associates, an American investment management firm, has said that education and technology are key influencers among the factors that propel economic development and spearhead growth, but specific skillsets, beyond professional …
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Smart Fabrics Conference: Part II

June 12, 2023  |  Features

With a packed day-and-a-half, the Smart Fabric Summit in April 2023 provided plenty of information to process, ideas to incorporate and discussions to spark the imagination. Organized by the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) and the Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University (NC S…
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The life-changing possibilities for biomedical textiles

May 22, 2023  |  Features

The pandemic heightened the public’s awareness of textile substrates and elevated the value of textiles in everyone’s eyes, but few know of breakthrough technologies that could transform segments of the medical textiles field. Key attributes of these textiles are their functionality and biocompa…
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The Smart Fabrics Conference 2023

May 8, 2023  |  Features

This year’s Smart Fabric Summit was again organized by the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) and the Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University (NC State) in Raleigh, N.C. The event took place on the NC State campus April 11–12. It began with a full day of education and ended …
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The future of polyester (as we know it)

April 24, 2023  |  Features

Where would we be without polyester textiles? Fibers created from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are ubiquitous in our apparel, home furnishings, automotive, filtration and personal care industries. In 2021, they represented 57.57 percent of the global fiber market, according to Fibre2Fashion’s …
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Advanced durable textiles for protective applications

April 10, 2023  |  Features

We wear textiles for protection from the elements—walking in the rain, shielding ourselves from the sun, or even removing dinner from the oven. It’s interesting to consider what goes into making these everyday textiles, but what about making more robust protective textile applications, such as g…
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Helping the body heal itself 

March 27, 2023  |  Features

The health and wellness market has been among the first to embrace advances in smart yarns and to take advantage of the versatility of engineered textiles. Supreme Corp., a producer of high-tech textiles and electrically conductive yarn and sewing thread, has now created a revolutionary fabric calle…
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Protective textiles: a sunrise sector

March 13, 2023  |  Features

Images full of camouflage patterns and army combat gear are seen frequently in the news, no doubt in part because of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Next to weapons systems, the bullet proof gear and garments we are so used to seeing are, in fact, occupying an important place in defense procurement.
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