#Knitting & Hosiery

2018-11-28

Südwolle Group and Santoni collaborate towards a new footwear concept

The X MACHINE branded Santoni and the technical wool-based yarns by Südwolle Group create a new concept of footwear for active wear with an upper in seamless knit fabric.

Südwolle Group, the renowned manufacturer of worsted yarns in pure wool and wool blends, together with Santoni Group, a world leader in manufacturing circular knitting machines and pioneer in the seamless technology, are presenting an innovative footwear concept with an upper in seamless wool fabric. Starting from November 2018, the respective shoe models will be presented at the upcoming textile trade fairs: Performance Days (28/29th Nov), ISPO (3rd-6th Feb), Pitti Filati (23rd-25th Jan) and Filo (27/28th Feb).

Footwear marries the current trend for knitted uppers with 3D intarsia and profiles, lending itself to numerous variants and personalized interpretations in the ambit of active and fashion wear.

A fit that is perfectly gauged to the foot shape, the breathability of the upper and a sensation of comfort in dynamic contexts are the distinctive characteristics of this footwear. It is the result of Santoni Group’s X MACHINE technology and the performing wool blend yarns by Südwolle Group in combination with fibre expertise coming from EMS Grilon®.

Especially for the footwear market, Santoni created the X MACHINE, which offers the possibility to knit countless intarsia items for designing any kind of seamless uppers. This machine allows the mapping of different areas according to the type of yarn used and the various combinations chosen. This way a finished shoe body is produced that is ready for the application on the sole, the last manufacturing stage of the shoe. With the help of X MACHINE the production process becomes more efficient, reliable and costs can be minimized. Product-wise the shoe uppers can be designed with unlimited patterns and colour combinations including three-dimensional areas and eyelets for the laces.

Südwolle Group, manufacturer of yarns for circular knitting and hosiery, collaborated with Santoni Group in the development of the prototype. In fact, the yarn used for the upper is of fundamental importance: thanks to the properties and structure of the fibres, it is possible to enhance the potential of the footwear and heighten its performance.

The project has been based on Südwolle Group yarns, constructed and twisted specifically for this purpose in order to effectively meet the objective. The company has selected wool-based blends with a high technical content, to offer the natural qualities of wool fibres to footwear destined for sports activities and activewear.

Anti-static, elastic with a soft hand feel, wool ensures excellent heat insulation and absorbs body moisture, while transporting it away from the skin and outside the fabric. The fibre is antibacterial, odour resistant and affords protection against UV rays. It is actually thanks to these properties that the use of wool for footwear is an ancient tradition which Südwolle Group has recovered and applies to an industry that is extremely modern, technological and defined by high levels of performance.

Two different yarns have been used.

Cord-Wool Stretch Nm 12.500 Z 280 is a blend of Merino wool, Cordura® and Lycra® with a perfectly balanced mix of the durability, light weight and resistance to abrasion typical of Cordura® and the high quality of Merino wool.

Buran Sport Nm 7.500 Z 280, a blend of Merino Extrafine anti-shrinkage with cationic polyester with climate effect, offers a level of performance that is ideal for a dynamic lifestyle. The upper in Buran Sport is quick drying with an extremely soft hand feel, low pilling, easy-care and machine washable without risk of shrinkage or loss of its vivid colours. The Trevira® polyester, with its “Dual Channel” fibre profile, blended with wool, enhances the properties of odour resistance, heat insulation and moisture absorption: in other words it enables moisture to evaporate externally, keeping the skin dry and ensuring lasting comfort.

Both yarns have been processed in a thermal fuse blend with Grilon® melting fibre (Grilon® k85 390dtex and 840 dtex), a material which is of fundamental importance in retaining the shape of the knit fabric upper with its 2D and 3D structure.

The new RJ 4/2 EL revolutionizes body mapping and expands creative possibilities – from smart lingerie to sporty athleisure designs

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The new RDJ 7/3 defines the design footprint of modern athletic shoes

Stylish, functional, and efficient to produce – spacer fabrics are the all-arounders among textile materials. These versatile fabrics are particularly in demand in the sports and casual footwear sector, as they combine comfort, breathability, and design freedom. At the same time, this industry is trend-driven, dynamic, and price-sensitive like few others. Innovations are therefore a decisive factor for success. With the RDJ 7/3, KARL MAYER offers a solution specifically tailored to these requirements. The particular strength of the new double raschel machine: its exceptional flexibility, thanks to its three jacquard bars.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

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Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.