The importance of uppers and linings
Many people overlook the significance of footwear uppers and linings, according to Dr Naveed Anwar, a senior manager in footwear design engineering at adidas. This article examines the essential functions of these components and demonstrates why industry experts should pay close attention to them.
Because the upper section of footwear represents the main visible part of a shoe, the upper components serve to define the appearance of the product. This is in addition to the important role the materials play in determining performance properties such as breathability, flexibility and weight.
Of course, materials matter because the selection the designers make for the uppers, their choice of leather, other natural fibres or synthetic textiles, will determine how breathable, how flexible and how light a shoe will be.
We have also seen many advances in the construction of footwear uppers. These, too, have provided performance improvements in aspects such as aerodynamics and targeted physiological support, which athletic shoes, in particular, require. The construction of a well-made upper section protects the feet and the environment around the feet.
Silver lining
Linings are the concealed part of footwear. They provide comfort and hygienic benefits. The lining of a shoe functions as a cushion for the foot, which creates a comfortable fit while minimising rubbing and the possible formation of blisters. For many millennia, lining materials have also provided insulation to help maintain a comfortable foot temperature in cold weather conditions.
Today, technologically advanced linings go further than this. They can bring moisture-wicking, anti-microbial and other properties to shoes, offering advantages to wearers that include increased feet freshness and dryness.
This combination of comfort features, with functionality such as moisture management and temperature control in linings, creates superior wearability for shoes.
Trends and innovations
We see in the global footwear industry at the moment interesting trends that demonstrate the vital role that uppers and linings can play.
Sustainability is one such trend. For many years, the footwear industry has worked to develop lower-impact materials for uppers and linings in response to brands’ desire to be as sustainable as they possibly can be.
We have also seen smart textiles become integrated into shoe linings, enabling users to track their foot health by collecting data about their pressure distribution and walking patterns, helping to flag up possible problems, including diabetes.
To return to the visibility that the upper gives to a shoe, this leans into the customisation of footwear. The market now shows increasing demand for customised shoes. Distinctive uppers enable customers to create products according to their individual requirements and tastes.
Therefore, the functional elements of shoe uppers and linings serve as essential components. They can go a long way towards determining shoe performance and user satisfaction. Deep understanding of their importance by industry professionals will enable companies to put in place better product development. In turn, this will lead to satisfied customers.
Everyday runners
Sports group adidas has launched a new footwear collection called Everyday Running. As the name suggests, it said it had designed and made the collection with ordinary running enthusiasts in mind.
It said it wanted to support and provide shoes for all runners, no matter how or why they run. It turned this into a dedicated collection because, according to adidas, more than half of everyday enthusiasts of running describe choosing shoes as “overwhelming and complex”.
Audience insight work that adidas has quoted suggests this community of runners “often feel overlooked”.
This market research work involved questioning 1,500 runners from the UK, Mexico and South Africa in May this year. It classed participants who run between one and four times per week as “everyday runners”.
Many of these people have little or no connection to organised events or a broader runner community. This is often because they feel they do not run consistently enough to engage in that way. In fact, the research found that nearly 25% of participants do not even refer to themselves as runners.
Adidas said it wanted to understand better why these people run and what their needs are. Its general manager for running, Alberto Uncini Manganelli, said: “As the running community grows at the fastest rate ever, we are committed to providing the best footwear solutions for the many who run, for their own unique reasons, and require different benefits.”
In response to this challenge, the Everyday Running range comprises three styles, designed to meet the different needs of these runners.
The shoes are the Supernova Rise 2, which is aimed at runners looking for stability and support, the Adistar 4, which has a higher level of cushioning and shock absorption, and the Ultraboost 5, which offers a higher energy-return.
Upper construction and foot comfort are prominent features in the make-up of these running shoes. Because these products are aimed at the many, not the few, this proves that using quality materials in these parts of the shoe is fundamental.
For example, adidas describes the Supernova Rise 2 as offering “cloud-like comfort in every stride”. Of the Adistar 4, it says the shoe gives runners “maximum cushioning”. And with regard to the Ultraboost 5, its description of the shoe highlights the role of the Primeknit upper. This technique involves knitting the upper of the shoe as a single piece rather than stitching different pieces together. This is what gives footwear like this running shoe “a flexible and comfortable fit”.
Three new “everyday running” shoes from adidas. The company has said it is committed to providing the best footwear solutions for the many, not just for elite athletes.
All Credits: adidas
