TENCEL, the Lyocell fiber, is now being used in component parts for shoes. What started as shoe laces has grown to an initiative and interest on behalf of manufacturers to male more and more shoe components of TENCEL, many of which are already in use in commercial products, says Lenzing.
“It all started with shoe laces,” said Marina Crnoja-Cosic, Lenzing Segment Manager of Technical Textiles, says. As a result of Lenzing’s
“Now the goal is to launch a shoe on the market in which all of the component parts are made with TENCEL”, said Marina Crnoja-Cosic, Lenzing Segment Manager of Technical Textiles. “TENCEL has a good reputation when it comes to sustainability and, particularly when it comes to shoes, the moisture management function, which TENCEL fulfils to perfection, is a must.”
TENCEL is available as a fiber or in powder form, so it can be used in inner and outer shoes, as an outer fabric, and in shoe laces and sewing thread, says Lenzing.
Reputable brand manufacturers reportedly are already testing prototypes. The Austrian company, Legero, is searching for new possibilities in the field of sustainability and is at the point of commercializing a new shoe concept called VIOS. In this shoe, TENCEL shoe laces are used for sustainability and work is already underway to further extend TENCEL to additional components. “For us a partnership with Lenzing AG is a logical step on the way towards ecological responsibility since, due to our joint passion for sustainability, we are able to produce things which did not appear possible at first glance,” said Stefanie Stolitzka, Sustainable Development Manager at Legero.
The test and research institute Pirmasens played an important role in the development of shoes with TENCEL as did the International Shoe Competence Center of Pirmasens in Germany. All of the prototypes were made at Pirmasens.
