Design Methodology and Technology of Textile Footwear

Area of Science:

• Textile Engineering
• Footwear Design
• Material Science

Background:

• Material selection is crucial for footwear appearance and comfort.
• Innovative hybrid technology offers new possibilities for footwear manufacturing.
• Sports footwear requires specific material properties for performance and user experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a methodology for designing sports textile footwear using innovative hybrid technology.
• To analyze the structure and properties of a three-layer knitted and embroidered fabric for footwear uppers.
• To evaluate the impact of specific fabric components on air permeability and thermal insulation.

Main Methods:

• Footwear upper design using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and graphics software.
• Manufacturing of a three-layer knitted and embroidered textile structure.
• Determination of air permeability and thermal insulation parameters for individual layers and the complete fabric package.
• Testing the performance of an openwork spacer knitted fabric within the footwear material.

Main Results:

• The designed footwear upper utilized a two-element, three-layer knitted and embroidered structure.
• Air permeability and thermal insulation were systematically measured for all fabric components.
• The inclusion of openwork spacer knitted fabric significantly improved internal air circulation.
• Enhanced heat transfer away from the footwear was observed with the spacer fabric.

Conclusions:

• The developed hybrid technology and material design are suitable for sports textile footwear.
• Openwork spacer knitted fabric is an effective component for enhancing footwear comfort.
• The study provides valuable insights into optimizing textile structures for improved thermal and air management in footwear.