When shopping for footwear, customers give high priority to fit and comfort. Hence, it is crucial to pick the right material to manufacture footwear that not only adds comfort but also adds longevity to your products and offers the best user experience.
In recent years, especially over the last decade, reputed brands like Nike, Adidas, Crocs, and Sketchers have introduced significant innovations in their technology and products. These patented technical innovations have not just given them the power to sell their products at premium prices but also add to the lives of their loyal customers.
So it’s no wonder these brands have successfully grabbed big chunks of market share and become household names that consumers swear by and want to own. Interestingly, such widespread innovations are a first of their kind which was unseen or unheard of twenty years back.
GRABBING THE LION’S SHARE OF THE MARKET: INVENTIONS & MATERIAL CHOICES
Any discussion on the Indian footwear industry is incomplete without talking about footwear innovations and footwear material choices.
Companies like Nike and Adidas have created and patented world-class technologies to offer customers the ultimate footwear experience and outstanding new products. Nike Air cushioning technology and Adidas patented foam are excellent examples of how footwear brands can cater to their customers with a mix of comfort and superior user experience. The concept of limited-edition designs and styles is also quite popular as they create immediate buzz and excitement among consumers to get the new range.
But this is not the case with smaller players. A majority of footwear brands are still working on the same-old system that they have been using for years together. This is due to a lack of knowledge about resources to develop new designs. Such a lack of technical innovation or delay or failure to bring in newness is causing brands to stagnate and quickly lose their hold on the market.
The same is true for footwear material choices.
THE GOOD, BAD, AND THE UGLY: MATERIAL ALTERNATIVES
Though a large number of materials are available to manufacture footwear products, not all of them offer the same results in terms of look, feel, and wearability. Also, many materials have a negative impact on the environment and do not support the drive towards sustainability which makes it important to find and shift to better material alternatives.
After all, care for people and the environment is crucial and much needed in our society.
A common list of items and materials frequently used to manufacture footwear that can harm us and our environment include –
- Chrome-tanned Leather
- Conventional Non-organic cotton
- Acid Dyes
- Direct (Substantive) Dyes
- Disperse Dyes
- PVC
- PU/TPU
- Solvent-Based Adhesives
- Petroleum Rubber/ products and many more.
These materials pose a serious threat and adversely impact humans OR the environment, and need urgent replacement with better, cleaner, healthier, and sustainable alternatives.
Here is a list of alternative material choices that you can use to create safer footwear options for your customers and show them that you are a company that cares
To know more on the elements choices:
https://www.bettershoes.org/home/material-selection,
ARE YOU READY TO MAKE THE SHIFT?
As the footwear industry is growing and evolving, the importance of responsible manufacturing and timely innovations is growing too. If you want to become the brand of not just the present but also the future, it’s time to make technical innovations that will blow your customers’ minds. Caring for your consumers and the environment is a positive step toward making your brand stand out from the clutter and winning loyal customers.
