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Texon highlights sustainability in new products and key appointment

Published: 1st Nov 2019
Hong Kong – Texon has launched 2 new products where environmental considerations are a key factor.
Texon describes itself as "a market leader in the development of eco-friendly, structural materials for the global footwear industry". It manufactures insole, toe puff and heel counter materials.
In July, it launched Texon Vulcan that can provide extra shape and enhanced levels of support in vulcanised shoes, and contains up to 50% recycled fibre content.
It is described as an alternative to traditional rubber heel reinforcements.
According to the release: Texon Vulcan is a non-woven polyester felt with strong performance properties. Designed to create sturdy yet comfortable heel counters, this lightweight material was developed as a result of in-depth research into the key issues associated with vulcanised shoes.
Impregnated with a special thermoplastic that increases its shape-retention and firmness, Texon Vulcan delivers exceptional structural support at a significantly thinner gauge – helping footwear manufacturers achieve a slimmer heel profile and deliver a tighter topline that fits neatly around the wearer’s heel.
Offering excellent shape definition during processing, Texon Vulcan also performs well over time. Less prone to slumping and sagging, it enables canvas shoes to retain their form for longer - increasing product longevity, consumer comfort and satisfaction levels. 
Matt Smith, Group Sales Director at Texon, said: “Texon Vulcan is groundbreaking in terms of the significantly improved physical properties that it offers, and the amount of recycled fibre that it uses. Firmer and more resilient than rubber counters, which are typically soft and can lose their shape relatively quickly, Texon Vulcan helps overcome the age-old problem of sagging in vulcanised shoes, which can result in a canvas upper collapsing. The launch of Texon Vulcan reinforces our capabilities as a leader in innovative, sustainable, structural materials for the footwear industry and will open up sizable new commercial opportunities in this important part of the global footwear industry.”
Texon Vulcan is available in sheet form, or pre-cut, as a net, waste-free material – further adding to its sustainability credentials. Engineered to withstand the high temperatures and pressures experienced in autoclave ovens during the vulcanisation joining process, Texon Vulcan is supplied with an EVA adhesive coating that bonds to most leathers, synthetic leathers, fabrics and lining materials. Texon Vulcan is also compatible with latex cement.
Texon Vulcan is available alongside Texon Uno, Texon’s existing product for toe puffs for the vulcanised footwear market.
 
In August, it launched Texon Halo, a new heel counter material for the footwear industry that contains a minimum of 50% recycled content.
According to the release: Developed by a team that specialises in the development of eco-friendly, structural solutions for shoe production, Texon Halo is a high-performance, powder moulded, reinforcement material that has excellent sustainability credentials and delivers distinct and measurable performance advantages.
Designed for use in athletic and sports shoes, but suitable for providing structural support in most types of footwear, Texon Halo is stiffer than competitor products at an equivalent thickness – making it ideal for creating thinner, lighter shoes with a robust yet supportive, well fitting heel.
Delivered ‘out of the box’ (against dxf pattern) ready for insertion, Texon Halo is a net, waste-free product that requires no cutting or skiving. Offering good mouldability and a low heat activation point, the material is cost effective, quick to use and easy to insert into a shoe upper. Self-adhering at lower process temperatures, Texon Halo bonds well to all commonly used substrates including synthetic materials. It is also excellent at retaining its shape over time.
Matt Smith, Group Sales Director at Texon, said: “When it comes to manufacturing shoes, selecting sustainable materials that can provide the right level of structural support is essential, particularly when it comes to heel counters. These small but invaluable components are key to the construction of a good shoe – helping to stabilise the heel, maintain the foot’s position, and reduce the risk of pronation. The development of Texon Halo shows us pushing the boundaries of heel counter technology, creating materials that have better sustainability credentials, while still offering first-class performance properties.
 
 

Simon Browne...Bringing an understanding of shoe component, nonwoven and adhesive technologies

 

Texon appoints new key accounts director in Europe

 
Texon has announced the appointment of a new key accounts director in Europe, who will help drive the business to further growth. Simon Browne joins Texon from global technology group Freudenberg, where he worked for 27 years, most recently as head of the company’s global shoe components strategic business unit.
According to the release: With extensive experience in the footwear industry, Simon will use his expertise to help build long-lasting partnerships with Texon’s current and new potential customers. Leading Texon’s key account team in Europe, he will conceive and execute new sales strategies that will support the delivery of high quality, sustainable materials to some of the biggest brands in the footwear sector as well as for other consumer applications. 
Texon designs, creates and supplies high performance materials based on non-woven saturated felts, extruded films, wet-web saturated cellulose paperboard, and technical fabrics. In the footwear industry these materials are used to create heel counters, toepuffs, insoles and shoe uppers. Texon materials are also widely used in consumer applications to create fashion accessories, clothing, luggage, labels and tags; and in industrial sectors, within flooring, filtration, hygiene and medical, and construction.
Matt Smith, Global Sales Director, said: “Simon commands an in-depth understanding of shoe component, nonwoven and adhesive technologies and their application. He is also highly adept at leading international teams and masterminding global growth strategies. We are delighted to welcome him to the Texon team. His experience and insights will be an important asset as we continue to expand our business and develop additional materials that require less energy, produce less waste and are more sustainable.”
Simon will be based in Thueringen in Germany.
Texon is represented in SA by Tuftex.
 

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