As a natural fiber material, wool is light and comfortable, and has the characteristics of odor resistance, air permeability and temperature regulation. It is suitable for clothing and socks fabrics. Wool knitted shoes are also entering the field of fashion and sports shoes.

Santoni Group together with Südwolle Group, the renowned manufacturer of worsted yarns in pure wool and wool blends, are presenting an innovative footwear concept with an upper in seamless wool fabric.

Footwear marries the current trend for knitted uppers with 3D intarsia and profiles, lending itself to numerous variants and personalised 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.

X  Machine

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.

With the help of X Machine, the production process becomes more efficient, reliable and costs can be minimised. Product-wise the shoe uppers can be designed with unlimited patterns and colour combinations including three-dimensional areas and eyelets for the laces.