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Shoes are a challenge for automation

Shapes, materials and colours in sports shoe uppers change frequently; many of the components in their construction are soft. These factors make using automation to produce them a particular challenge. In the toing and froing over the tariff turbulence of the first half of 2025, it was easy to miss one of the main objectives that US president,...
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25 July 2025
A guide to EU sustainability rules - footwearbiz, world footwear A guide to EU sustainability rules
Pirmasens-based footwear technology and research institute PFI has put together a guide to help shoe companies keep track of all the European Union sustainability regulations that could impact on the industry.
11 July 2025
Preferred materials - footwearbiz, world footwear Preferred materials
Footwear brand New Balance is using data from LCA exercises to reset its environmental targets and its definition of ‘preferred materials’. This is already informing changes to product design.
27 June 2025
Scalable, biodegradable midsole materials - footwearbiz, world footwear Scalable, biodegradable midsole materials
An almost three-year quest at OrthoLite’s Cirql division to add a biodegradable midsole material to its recyclable offering is complete.
13 June 2025
A seat at the table - footwearbiz, world footwear A seat at the table
Puma has enlisted ‘youth voices’ and influencers to explore questions surrounding real leather versus its alternatives - and uses our Nothing to Hide website to inform the debate.
30 May 2025
Innovation in digital leather processing - footwearbiz, world footwear Innovation in digital leather processing
Swiss-based cutting technology provider Zünd recently unveiled further innovative solutions for the leather industry, showcasing advances in automation, precision, and workflow efficiency.
16 May 2025
Growing consensus - footwearbiz, world footwear Growing consensus
Last autumn’s revision of the Higg Index included new figures for leather, showing a substantially reduced environmental impact.
02 May 2025
Propelled forward - footwearbiz, world footwear Propelled forward
A ban by the NBA for Athletic Propulsion Labs’ first shoe came as a shock to the twin brothers who launched the start-up fresh from college, but it has turned out to be blessing in disguise.
25 April 2025
Insoles as essential equipment - footwearbiz, world footwear Insoles as essential equipment
Dr Naveed Anwar – Pressure-relieving insoles can play a pivotal role in enhancing comfort, reducing injury risks and even improving athletic performance. This article explores the technology and science behind ...
11 April 2025
Footwear for diabetics - footwearbiz, world footwear Footwear for diabetics
A research team in Poland has developed special footwear incorporating pulse-emitters to help people with diabetes.
04 April 2025
The fight for durability - footwearbiz, world footwear The fight for durability
A “radical step forward” in making its footwear more durable helped Keen win recognition in Time’s ‘Best Inventions’ list at the end of 2024.
21 March 2025
Single-minded - footwearbiz, world footwear Single-minded
Helen Kirkum combines sneaker culture with craftsmanship, using leftover shoes and deadstock to create unique designs.
14 March 2025
Leather outsoles, not to be overlooked - footwearbiz, world footwear Leather outsoles, not to be overlooked
Innovations in footwear might suggest that comfort, performance, and wearability are in a constant state of evolution.
07 March 2025
To repair is to care - footwearbiz, world footwear To repair is to care
A lowering of tax on shoe repairs in France should convince more consumers of the benefits of renewing and reusing footwear as part of a more sustainable economic model.
28 February 2025
The lasting demands of automation - footwearbiz, world footwear The lasting demands of automation
Last technology developer Framas makes a case for automation in direct-injection processes, but points out that specially developed lasts are an essential part of this transition.
27 December 2024
AI on its way into footwear factories - footwearbiz, world footwear AI on its way into footwear factories
Research institution Inescop has shared details of some of the practical experience it has built up so far of using artificial intelligence in working shoe manufacturing facilities.
20 December 2024
Work and play - footwearbiz, world footwear Work and play
With labour and skills shortages high on the list of challenges facing the shoe industry in Europe, CEC hopes a new game can help bring young people into the sector.
13 December 2024
Web of influence - footwearbiz, world footwear Web of influence
Sportswear brand On has developed a novel way to create uppers: sprayed from a robotic arm in a matter of minutes.
06 December 2024
Natural progression - footwearbiz, world footwear Natural progression
Performance cotton brand Ventile is making strides in the footwear sector with its recycled offerings.
29 November 2024
Getting a grip on circularity - footwearbiz, world footwear Getting a grip on circularity
Huntsman has set its sights on recyclability with a versatile TPU soling range complementing a so-called first liquid TPU for the footwear industry.
22 November 2024
Ripe for disruption - footwearbiz, world footwear Ripe for disruption
Innovation hub Fashion for Good, has issued a call for innovators to help it create a more circular footwear supply chain.
15 November 2024
The timeless craft of Cordovan leather - footwearbiz, world footwear The timeless craft of Cordovan leather
Cordovan leather, often known as "shell cordovan", is celebrated for its exceptional quality and unique craftsmanship, boasting a history that stretches back centuries. The story of this valued material is as...
20 September 2024
Tipping the needle - footwearbiz, world footwear Tipping the needle
London’s Future Fabrics Expo curated a separate area for footwear for the first time, as companies speed up commercialisation of ‘next gen’ materials and new manufacturing process are touted.
13 September 2024
A cure for the PFAS problem - footwearbiz, world footwear A cure for the PFAS problem
Textile finishing specialist (GTT) is taking its PFAS- and water-free Empel textile finishing platform into footwear.
06 September 2024
Paris on a plate - footwearbiz, world footwear Paris on a plate
Footwear brand Puma has put a lot into helping athletes prepare for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Reigning 400-metres hurdles champion, Karsten Warholm, is one of those hoping the hard work pays off.
30 August 2024
A solution for a sticky problem - footwearbiz, world footwear A solution for a sticky problem
Advances in adhesive technology are opening up new possibilities for recycling athletic shoes.
23 August 2024
In-house expansion - footwearbiz, world footwear In-house expansion
Luxury group Hermès will continue its drive to open new leathergoods factories in France in the next four years. But when it comes to footwear, it will be with partners in Italy that it builds up its in-house...
16 August 2024
The material behind the retro trend - footwearbiz, world footwear The material behind the retro trend
In recent months, a particular style of athletic shoes has experienced a significant resurgence in demand. A look at the material that is helping to make them popular again.
28 June 2024
AI becomes a serious tool - footwearbiz, world footwear AI becomes a serious tool
W.L. Gore & Associates believes a recent project involving AI and its versatile Extraguard safety footwear upper material points the way to a huge range of design possibilities.
21 June 2024
How last shape can influence fit - footwearbiz, world footwear How last shape can influence fit
Do you often think about your feet during the day? If the answer is ‘yes’, your shoes probably do not fit properly.
14 June 2024
Swot analysis - footwearbiz, world footwear Swot analysis
A report by the European Chemicals Agency discovered that 8% of footwear failed to comply with single-market chemical regulations in 2022.
07 June 2024
The remarkable foot - footwearbiz, world footwear The remarkable foot
Feet are one of the less attractive parts of the body and yet are vital to our very existence.
31 May 2024
No herd mentality - footwearbiz, world footwear No herd mentality
A conservation project in South Dakota has brought life back to the grasslands with the reintroduction of buffalo.
24 May 2024
Supply chain traceability – what’s to hide? - footwearbiz, world footwear Supply chain traceability – what’s to hide?
Lily Cuthbertson, Eurofins BLC Leather Technology Centre
17 May 2024
Performance provides the buzz - footwearbiz, world footwear Performance provides the buzz
Changes to materials and construction are crucial in creating shoes that will provide athletes with performance gains. What this means for sustainability strategies is a separate question.
10 May 2024
Biomaterials for footwear - footwearbiz, world footwear Biomaterials for footwear
Maria José Ferreira, CTCP/BioShoes4All Consortium, Portugal
03 May 2024
PrimeAsia looks towards a bright future - footwearbiz, world footwear PrimeAsia looks towards a bright future
The leather manufacturer has set out an ambitious new strategy to give its clients access to verified data to weave into their own carbon reduction and sustainability targets.
26 April 2024
A limitless source of raw material - footwearbiz, world footwear A limitless source of raw material
Algae blooms have become a major environmental problem and their explosive growth can be linked to increasing global temperatures and rising pollution.
19 April 2024
Boots for the working woman - footwearbiz, world footwear Boots for the working woman
Safety footwear entrepreneur Emily Soloby is adding her voice to the call for employers to make sure shoes and boots for women fit properly.
12 April 2024
Answers in Almansa - footwearbiz, world footwear Answers in Almansa
Footwear materials solutions innovator OrthoLite has completed an expansion project at its European production site in Almansa.
05 April 2024
Mongolian makers gain global platform - footwearbiz, world footwear Mongolian makers gain global platform
A slipper-making project creates much-needed income for families living below the poverty line. The scheme has been backed by Vivobarefoot and is part of its wider remit to support communities through...
22 March 2024
HAPTIC textile coating for footwear - footwearbiz, world footwear HAPTIC textile coating for footwear
Much like the mobility industry, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Circular Fibres Initiative, the textile industry is a major greenhouse gas emitter and environmental polluter.
15 March 2024
Soft-flowing materials for insoles - footwearbiz, world footwear Soft-flowing materials for insoles
Insoles and insocks are extremely versatile footwear components made in a variety of materials and designs.
08 March 2024
Weighing up the gains - footwearbiz, world footwear Weighing up the gains
Adidas designed the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 to be a staggering 40% lighter than any other shoe, helping to decimate the women’s world record marathon time in the process.
01 March 2024
A rise comes before a fall - footwearbiz, world footwear A rise comes before a fall
Stuart Cleaver. After a promising 2022 the shoe industry had some expectations that 2023 would not be as buoyant.

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