Munich - Visitors to the Santoni booth at the ISPO exhibition were able to see the company's latest developments for the shoe upper sector, an argyle/intarsia fabric knitted entirely in one piece on the renowned XT-Machine.

This innovative, integrated upper can be produced in a single- or double-layer argyle fabric with a tongue on the instep. The XT Machine technology also offers the possibility of locating the terry fabric, which offers cushioning or shock absorption functions, and the the openwork fabric, which is able to improve the breathability of the upper and the ventilation of the foot, wherever required.

Also possible is the knitting in of a heel quarter stiffen which is designed to stiffen the rear area where the heel is housed.

"This innovative upper, properly handled and folded, after undergoing a heat setting process, a fixing with subsequent cementing of the sole and insertion of the laces, turns into a full and already completed shoe with its final shape, which

offers all the peculiarities of a traditional shoe with the advantage of being lighter, more comfortable, with specific technical features and capable of offering great performance and higher quality," Santoni's Patrick Silva told Knitting Trade Journal at the show. "In addition, a strategic advantage offered by the new Santoni technology lies in the possibility of developing and creating innovative uppers efficiently and quickly, drastically reducing the overall time of the shoe production cycle and minimizing production waste."

Santoni has filed two patents relating to the manufacturing process of the shoe upper and 12 patents relating to the new technologies introduced in the XT-Machine.