One-piece knit shoe upper introduced

Italian company Santoni has introduced its XT-MACHINE for sports shoe uppers, according to a report in Knitting Industry. Patrick Silva, Santoni head of marketing, said the company has created an “integrated upper, in a single- or double-layer argyle fabric, provided with a tongue on the instep and entirely made in one piece, produced in a whole shoe upper by its knitting machine called XT-MACHINE.”

The upper can be customized to locate terry fabric and openwork fabric for cushioning, shock absorption and ventilation. A heel quarter stiffener can be integrated into the upper as well, according to the company.

Santoni has filed for patents on the manufacturing of the uppers and the XT-MACHINE, which both aim to increase speed of production and minimize production waste.