Among the innovations presented at the trade fair last September by Huntsman is a new supercritical foam (SCF) technology that combines lightweight cushioning, comfort and durability for sports and lifestyle footwear, while supporting manufacturers’ automation goals. This is SMARTLITE® SCF 280 TPU, the latest product in a wider range of SCF midsole technologies that includes SMARTLITE® SCF 285 TPU, launched in 2024, which is expected to follow its success.
In the footwear industry, supercritical foam is becoming increasingly popular. Key players in the value chain are investing heavily in this technology as an alternative to ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) due to its ability to offer lightweight, responsive cushioning with consistent performance. At the same time, SCF systems, which can be used in combination with direct injection processes, can contribute to sustainability through more efficient production, reduced waste and recyclability potential.
Huntsman’s new SMARTLITE® SCF 280 technology is softer than SMARTLITE® SCF 285. Developed for use as a midsole in lifestyle/casual trainers and running shoes, the material can help to: reduce the overall weight of the shoe without sacrificing support (density = 0.17 to 0.22); support automation because the consistency of the material allows for reliable and economical production; provide responsive cushioning with up to 64% rebound to support athletic performance. SMARTLITE® SCF 280 can also improve durability and hydrolysis resistance, offering miles of everyday comfort, and offers circularity benefits because the material can be mechanically recycled and reused.
Huntsman’s SMARTLITE® SCF technologies for the midsole are optimised for co-moulding with AVALON® GECKO TPU, a sole technology launched in 2024 that offers slip resistance comparable to rubber on both wet and dry surfaces.
BASF’s Performance Materials division continues to drive the transformation of the plastics industry by combining sustainability and competitive advantage. The new Elastollan® RC TPU, with up to 100% recycled content, can be used as a raw material for new footwear parts. In parallel with this concept, BASF is developing further strategies for circularity: using depolymerisation, both post-industrial and post-consumer footwear waste can be incorporated into new polyurethane soles. Alternatively, ChemCycling® enables up to 100% attributed recycled raw materials to be obtained using end-of-life tyres or mixed plastic waste.
Among the new products for the summer season is the new Elastopan®SpringPURe, a lightweight yet durable PU. These products have low density without sacrificing the durability and performance of polyurethane. Whether you are looking for the elastic flexibility of polyether-based materials or the ease of processing of polyester-based options (perfect for high-end safety footwear), SpringPURe has it all. BAFS supports all the latest production methods, from classic casting to direct injection. The collaboration with Stemma S.R.L. combines the advances of SpringPURe materials with Stemma’s NUCLEOOS technology, a hybrid technology for chemical-physical foaming, to create lighter midsoles with exceptional style and performance, integrating seamlessly into existing polyurethane moulding processes.
Furthermore, thanks to its collaboration with Desma Schuhmaschinen GmbH, BASF has developed a new level of automated footwear creation that improves flexibility, design, comfort and lightness, introducing concepts such as direct soling with lightweight Elastopan®SpringPURe midsoles combined with sturdy Elastollan® TPU film outsoles. During the trade fair, the possibilities offered by fully automated PU processing combined with the dynamic elasticity of Infinergy® were also demonstrated, resulting in exceptional midsoles produced in a single step. The classic ‘Detonate’ preformed sole concept allows the use of expanded TPU to achieve adaptable densities and superior performance. At the same time, Desma’s innovative SCF machine simplifies production to create ultra-lightweight Infinergy® midsoles with exceptional elasticity and energy return.
Dermacolor presents its third calendar: Sculpted Icons, a project that once again celebrates boundless creativity, which has always been at the heart of the company’s claim “Unleash Your Creativity.”
A tribute to sculptures from all worlds and styles
The 2026 edition pays homage to 12 iconic sculptures, reinterpreted as digital art illustrations dedicated to universal and meaningful symbols. Among the works celebrated are Michelangelo’s David, the Riace Bronzes, the Egyptian Sphinx, the Fang Bane statues of Cameroon, Koons’ sculptures, and modern masterpieces such as Mirò and Boccioni, as well as other figures who have marked the history of art.
Each month becomes a tribute to art forms from different eras and cultures, reminding us that inspiration can come from anywhere: history, matter, imagination.
The “little cow”: symbol and protagonist
Dermacolor’s famous graphic icon becomes the face of the sculptures: it enters the works, takes on their expressions, and integrates completely into the artistic forms. This creative gesture transforms a corporate symbol into an artistic element, demonstrating that any material—like leather—can be shaped, reinvented, and sculpted according to the creator’s vision.
Unlimited creativity
Just as an artist shapes matter, Dermacolor allows tanneries to overcome technical limitations, explore new effects, and create unique products. The calendar thus becomes a visual manifesto of the company’s philosophy: it is not matter that sets boundaries, but imagination.
Temporary exhibition at the Dermacolor headquarters
Once again this year, the original images from the 2026 calendar are on display at the Dermacolor headquarters in Castelfranco di Sotto (PI), in the Italian tanning center of excellence, in a temporary exhibition set up in the company’s modern meeting room.
With a surface area of 1,800 square meters, Dermacolor serves the tanning industry on a daily basis, with analysis, research, and development laboratories for wet-end and finishing, and the entire production department, confirming its role as a leading Italian manufacturer active in the world of chemical solutions for leather.
Technological innovation, traceability and advanced data management are becoming the pillars of responsible transformation in the leather and footwear sector. During the September 2025 edition of Simac Tanning Tech, Francesca Rulli, Co-Founder of Ympact, brought together associations, brands and schools to discuss how these elements can accompany the construction of a more transparent, efficient and future-proof fashion system. Not only to respond to regulatory developments, but also to generate operational and competitive advantages.
Cristiano Paccagnella, Vice-President of Assomac, opened the debate by emphasising the central role of machinery in generating reliable data, which is essential for monitoring impacts and improving the efficiency of production processes. Francesca Rulli then outlined the main drivers behind the transformation of the sector: supply chain transparency, traceability systems geared towards future digital product passports, decarbonisation programmes and chemical management.
Among the guests, Marta Simonetti, Regional Manager Europe at ZDHC, presented the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals programme and explained that the aim of this programme is to move from a competitive advantage to a collaborative impact. Simonetti explained the importance of creating a network of stakeholders in the fashion supply chain to promote the implementation of the ZDHC programme.
This perspective was further reinforced by Daniele Massetti, Regional Lead Italy at the Apparel Impact Institute (AII), who presented the results of the Clean by Design pilot — AII’s engineering methodology for the decarbonisation of production processes — applied to 11 Italian tanneries. The project highlights potential reductions of 19% in energy consumption, 7% in water consumption and 23% in CO₂ emissions, with an average saving of €102,000 per year. This is a strong signal that technology and industrial efficiency can go hand in hand.
From a brand perspective, Mickael Maniez, Head of Sustainable Supply Chain at Kering, shared his direct experience in implementing the ZDHC and AII Carbon Target Setting programmes with his suppliers, emphasising the value of the Clean by Design pilot. The result is sustainability that translates into operational efficiency: many interventions generate rapid ROI — sometimes in less than a year — and innovation in machinery is a decisive factor in reducing energy and water consumption throughout the supply chain.
To conclude, Matteo Pasca, Director of Arsutoria School, highlighted the role of training and eco-design: waste reduction, durability, repairability and the use of digital twins are key levers to accompany the cultural transformation of the sector.
Diadora’s concrete commitment to research and innovation, combined with its commitment to sustainability and inclusion, has been recognized and certified by the award received by Claudio Bora, CEO of the group, during the CEOforLIFE Awards held in Rome on December 4.
The prestigious award, which recognizes companies that stand out for their concrete projects in sustainable development and innovation, was given for Diadora Utility’s Athena project: the first line of safety footwear designed exclusively for women. The study of female physiological and biomechanical specificities has given rise to shoes that provide maximum protection, comfort, and well-being in all working conditions.
This award confirms, once again, Diadora Utility’s pioneering role in the world of safety, through inclusive and cutting-edge solutions that meet the needs of every worker.
Claudio Bora, CEO of Diadora, with Romina Zanchetta, Marketing & Communication Director Utility
When thinking about the world of injection moulding, it is difficult to associate it with that of design. Mechanics, design, flows and sections; a complex subject, perhaps even a little difficult: it is hard to see the connection with the creativity that characterises a good designer. For the Zago Injection Moulds team, however, nothing could be further from the truth, because, as Marina Zago points out, ‘To make a good shoe, you need good foundations’. It is to support this principle that in 2021 Zago Injection Moulds came up with the idea of creating a series of animated videos for its website (www.zagomolds.com) that clearly and simply describe the injection moulding process for footwear. And it did so for each of the types of moulds that the company produces. Created in 3D graphics in an extremely accurate and incredibly illustrative way, Zago’s videos are able to show and make anyone immediately understand what an injection mould is and what the differences and characteristics of the different types are.
These videos have also recently been used by teachers at the Arsutoria school during training courses for company professionals. ‘The work done by Zago to explain the injection process for the production of soles in a simple but technically accurate way is undoubtedly a valuable resource for all those in the industry who want to better understand what goes on behind the scenes,’ said Matteo Pasca, director of the school. An unexpected opportunity that surprised the company itself: ‘We never imagined that developing these renderings would have such a wide resonance, but we are pleased to know it. At Zago, we have always looked to the future, and today the future of the footwear world is in the hands of the new generations of designers, technicians and craftsmen who, with their passion and dedication, choose to devote themselves to this profession,’ commented Marina Zago.
But who is Zago? Founded in 1958 in S. Angelo di Piove di Sacco, in the Padua area, Zago specialises in the design and construction of moulds for polyurethane and rubber injection. In the industry, Zago is synonymous with excellence, reliability and attention to detail, traits that make it a valued partner across the entire spectrum of production, from the most classic single and two-colour designs to the most complex, ambitious and pioneering multi-density designs using the latest generation of materials.
There was great excitement in the world of moulded sole production during Simac Tanning Tech in September 2025. Many new products were presented, all of which were extremely interesting. In the Innovation Outlook prepared by Arsutoria for Simac, we will discuss acronyms that refer to new material formulations and the latest technologies. However, we believe it is essential to first frame the business issues that led to the emergence of these innovations: a series of demands brought to the market by the search for performance, regulatory pressures and growing pressure from both consumers and the workforce within manufacturing companies.
THE SEARCH FOR LIGHTNESS
The first issue addressed, and probably the one that attracted the most attention, was undoubtedly that of lightness. In other words: the search for a reduction in the density of materials. In traditional moulding technologies, we are not talking about 3D printing and therefore lattice structures, the reduction in density has been sought through the expansion of materials. The two traditionally expanded materials are PU and EVA. Both materials trigger cross-linking processes, i.e. the formation of chemical bonds that consolidate the molecular structure and make it resistant to external agents such as heat.
The innovations presented at this year’s fair all concerned the use of gas to increase expansion, in the case of PU, or to expand traditionally compact materials such as TPU. Our observation is that precise alliances are certainly being created between technology manufacturers and material suppliers. Expansion processes, in fact, modify the physics of materials through relatively recent processes that inevitably require compliance with precise protocols to be developed jointly by those who supply the machines and those who provide the chemistry.
GENTREX – Tien Kang
RESEARCH INTO PROCESS INNOVATION
The second theme that emerged is that of the manufacturing process, with reference to worker health and safety. It is now clear that the fashion industry is finding it difficult to recruit staff who are willing to work in environments that pose health and safety risks, even for companies that manage these risks in the best possible way. Automation, i.e. the use of robots for handling materials, has been playing its part for years in removing the risk of operators coming into contact with high-temperature objects or being in close proximity to chemical agents that are sprayed onto moulding equipment. The innovations seen at this year’s trade fair explore further avenues of automation: the chemical compatibility between the materials used for moulding treads and midsoles favours a reduction in the chemicals needed to prepare the substrates in the bonding processes between two separately moulded parts. In the most virtuous cases, we are talking about co-moulding, i.e. positioning one of the two parts, usually the tread, inside the mould so that the other part can be cast or injected ‘on top’ and the adhesion between the two parts takes place inside the mould itself, without the application of adhesives. At an even more advanced technological level, the two parts are injected into the same mould in two successive injection steps. The advantages of this latter approach are also evident in terms of time and cost.
Desma SCF machine
THE PURSUIT OF CIRCULARITY
The third and final topic, linked to the previous ones and no less important, is that of material circularity. The progressive increase in the use of thermoplastics instead of thermosets for moulding soles simplifies the process of reusing materials. The elimination of chemical cross-linking processes makes plastic materials more easily recyclable. In any case, at this edition of the fair, we saw virtuous examples of supply chains that have organised themselves to manage the material recycling process at different levels. From an initial level of mechanical recycling that keeps the structure of the polymer chains unchanged, to different levels of chemical recycling: decrosslinking, which breaks the covalent bonds typical of cross-linking; but also depolymerisation, which breaks down the polymer chains into their starting chemical units, the monomers; and sophisticated pyrolysis, which is capable of breaking down the monomers and returning the materials to their original state. Upstream of these processes, of course, there must be a chain of operators suitably organised to collect the materials to be recycled, recognise their different chemical natures in order to separate them appropriately and treat them in a differentiated manner.
Vapesol – TPU and EVA soleCovestro – Desmopan FLY enables uniform fine-cell foams with superior cushioning, energy return, and lasting comfort for footwear midsoles
In the heart of a warehouse in Amsterdam, among machinery under construction and prototypes that change shape from one day to the next, a completely new way of making footwear has been born. This is where What the Future is rewriting the rules of industrial production, proving that sustainability, efficiency and flexibility are not just slogans, but concrete processes. Their 3DTI technology – a unique combination of 3D printing, thermoforming and injection moulding – promises to transform an industry often hamstrung by costs, lead times and rigid supply chains. A future shaped not in months, but in hours.
What the Future develops batch-to-mass manufacturing technologies that enable local, fast and low-impact production. Thanks to low-cost, reusable and recyclable 3D moulds, set-up times are drastically reduced, while the possibility of using bio-based materials and almost zero-waste processes could represent a leap forward for the entire industry. Not only that, but by adopting direct injection onto the upper, the company reduces costs by up to 20% and overcomes the limitations that have held back large-scale sustainable production.
Leading this revolution is Carrie Howe, Managing Director & CEO, as well as a former Olympic sailor, with a clear vision: to overturn a production system that produces too much, too far away and with too many compromises for the planet. We met her during the event organised by APICCAPS, “Welcome to the industry of the future!”.
Where does the urgency to reinvent manufacturing come from?
«The industry is in crisis because it can produce millions of identical pieces, but it is unable to easily switch from a prototype to customised production, from small series to large volumes. Above all, it generates too much waste. It was clear to us that a new approach was needed.»
What is the real innovation of your technology?
«We have combined existing technologies — 3D printing, thermoforming, automation and injection — to enable factories to produce in a cleaner, faster and more flexible way. Our 3DTI uses inexpensive and recyclable 3D moulds, reduces lead times from months to hours and allows us to work with more sustainable materials, such as bio-based ones.»
Can we go into more detail?
«3D printing: our technology uses low-cost 3D-printed moulds instead of traditional CNC-milled aluminium/steel moulds. As a result, production start-up is reduced from months to hours. This enables rapid and cost-effective development of new products and drastically reduces time-to-market.
Thanks to the use of 3D-printed moulds, shapes can be quickly modified on 3DTI production lines. The combination with upper injection allows for the same-day production of multiple products at a lower cost than existing mass production processes.
Thermoforming: our patented technology transforms standard thermoforming machines into flexible, high-speed production lines, thanks to the use of low-cost, 3D-printed, air-cooled moulds. After production, the moulds are shredded, pelletised and used to create filaments for new moulds.
Injection moulding: 3DTI offers many possibilities and a variety of applications. It can process any liquid, paste or gel. From complete shoes to individual parts (insoles, midsoles, outsoles, etc.), footwear made with 3DTI is tested to industry standards and designed to have minimal environmental impact.»
How do you differ from traditional technologies?
«We offer an end-to-end solution, designed for existing factories that do not have the space or margins to take risks. With us, they can innovate without disrupting everything. And the cost reduction exceeds €5 per pair: we are talking about a real impact.»
You are also working on the sustainability of materials. What does that mean in practice?
«For us, it is not an extra: it is the starting point. We use recycled plastic moulds that are turned into new filament at the end of their life; we work with natural rubber in liquid form, which reduces waste and impact; we eliminate glue by injecting directly onto the upper. Less chemicals, fewer steps, fewer emissions.»
I understand that at your headquarters in Amsterdam, you never stop experimenting…
«That’s right. This is demonstrated by the fact that at the heart of What The Future is a team of designers, engineers and material enthusiasts intent on doing things that many consider impossible, such as transforming a food packaging machine into a shoe factory. Not just any machine, but one designed to produce plastic containers for ham sold in supermarkets. Today, that machine does something much more interesting. It produces trainers. Printed in one night, not months.»
Can you give us a concrete example of the benefits of the systems you build?
«The traditional footwear industry is rigid and expensive. Steel moulds, aluminium tools, large-scale production and delivery times measured in months. Want to make a prototype of a new sole? Left and right, in all sizes? It will cost you at least €200,000.
With our technology, the same mould costs €15 in materials and is 3D printed overnight using recycled ABS. Instead of carving moulds out of metal, our system thermoforms plastic sheets. As I said, it’s a technique borrowed from the world of packaging, using heat and pressure. Then, it combines them with 3D-printed inserts for total flexibility. One day it’s children’s shoes, the next day it’s street style for adults, without making any changes to the tools, no waste, no delays, just a smooth and easily adaptable process.
Our modular system also allows us to change moulds quickly, enabling us to test different solutions or move into production, something that traditional industry can hardly imagine.»
Shall we talk about materials?
«Our soles are made from liquid latex. Pure, natural rubber extracted directly from trees grown in forests rich in biodiversity, not in monocultures. The liquid is poured into a mould to which a minimum amount of vulcanising agent is added during injection to cross-link the polymer chains and transform the rubber from a sticky material into a resistant elastomer. It is then mixed with natural additives to meet the industry’s requirements in terms of abrasion, slip resistance, etc.»
What is your vision for the future of footwear?
«A local, modular, easily repairable production system, where brands can produce close to their target market without relying on huge, distant supply chains. Our first plant in Mississippi will produce up to five million pairs a year: proof that this model is scalable.»
Turning waste into something new to wear. That’s what’s happening in the laboratories of Vapesol, a Portuguese specialist in the production of soles that has decided to take the word ‘circularity’ seriously.
As part of the FAIST Programme and in collaboration with the Centro Tecnológico do Calçado (CTCP), the company is developing three lines of innovation that have a common denominator: recovering industrial waste considered problematic and transforming it into high-performance soles.
EVA FROM EVA. The first project addresses a technical paradox: ethylene vinyl acetate is a cross-linked polymer that is traditionally very difficult to recycle, yet its production generates mountains of waste. Vapesol is developing specific grinding and reprocessing techniques to reintegrate these residues into new soles, while maintaining their comfort and performance properties.
LEATHER IN SOLES. The most disruptive innovation concerns the development of TPU and EVA soles that incorporate tannery waste – yes, the very leather that would otherwise end up in landfill. The high inclusion rate achieved exceeds current industry standards, opening up new scenarios for the supply chain.
RECYCLED NITRILE. Third front: rubber soles that incorporate nitrile residues from external production processes, such as disposable gloves. A material that no one had thought to exploit in footwear.
Vapesol is not simply recycling: it is re-engineering the very concept of the sole, demonstrating that sustainability and performance can coexist.
Among the new features is a new resin 3D printer that allows the creation of flexible and ‘wearable’ sole prototypes: a new way of thinking about footwear, even at the prototyping stage.ù
And, one more thing, a new machine (the second of its kind in Europe to date) that allows the moulding of two-colour EVA soles for products with cutting-edge performance, particularly in terms of lightness, but with an added focus on style and design.
During the “Welcome to the industry of the future!” conference promoted by APICCAPS, a visit was also made to Kyaia, one of Portugal’s leading footwear groups. Although it did not take part in the FAIST project, Kyaia was part of the Bioshoes4all programme, another important project, which has just been completed, that aimed to revolutionise the world of Portuguese footwear production by promoting the adoption of sustainable materials.
It is fair to say that there is a common thread linking the cork used in Asportuguesas flip-flops to the robotisation of a pilot line for eco-products: it is called strategic consistency. The Kyaia Group seems to have turned it into a method. Founded in 1984 in Guimarães, the company has built an ecosystem that goes far beyond shoe production, integrating distribution, retail, real estate and information technology. Today, it exports to over 70 countries with brands such as Fly London, Softinos, Foreva and Fred & Frederico.
Participation in the BioShoes4All project represents the natural evolution of this vision. The programme, coordinated by CTCP and led by APICCAPS, brings together 70 partners, including companies, research centres and universities, with a total investment of €72.7 million and €41 million in funding. The goal is ambitious: to steer the entire Portuguese footwear supply chain towards the bioeconomy and the circular economy.
For Kyaia, involvement has meant working on biomaterials and solutions for the valorisation of production residues. It is not just theory: the project involves the implementation of industrial pilot lines and the development of advanced technologies such as automation, robotisation and recycling. A process that will be completed by the end of 2025, but whose effects promise to redesign the very way we conceive of shoes.
