Performance Days to include shoes for first time
Functional fabrics trade fair Performance Days, due to take place in Munich between October 4 and 5, will feature a dedicated footwear section for the very first time.
A talk by sister publication WSA’s technical editor, Sophie Bramel, is set to be among the event’s standouts, as is a panel discussion on bio-based materials hosted by German outdoor brand Vaude’s senior innovation manager, René Bethmann. Another will examine “the common ground between corporate social responsibility and ingredient sourcing”, as organisers put it.
The focus theme for this edition’s Fabric Forum has also been revealed as “evolution and revolution: from membranes to the carbon story”. Out of 1,000 swatch submissions, the top 28 from each category will be displayed side by side, inviting visitors’ review.
In addition to the show’s usual ‘eco’ and performance awards for fabrics, the winners of which will be revealed just prior to opening day, three footwear innovations – a production technique, a testing method, and a material – have been singled out as prize-winners ahead of the two-day event. Other programme highlights include “enhanced” sustainability and innovation zones.
Founder of Performance Days, Marco Weichert, commented: “I am pleased [to see that] the standard of submissions improves each year. The fabric swatches keep on getting better; I was so impressed at the high [standard] of both the footwear and innovation entries.”
Image courtesy of Performance Days.
