From Running Shoes to Apparel, "Adding Color Without Water"... ASEMS Targets Waterless Dyeing Market

As interest in eco-friendly materials grows, ASEMS is targeting the sports and fashion materials market with its waterless dyeing technology. The company plans to expand the technology's applications beyond sewing and embroidery threads for footwear to shoelaces, webbing and fabrics, and enter the textile and apparel markets.

As the running boom has fueled the spread of "running core" - wearing athletic clothing in everyday life - demand for sports and fashion products that prioritize design and brand identity, as well as functionality, is growing. According to fashion platform 29CM, transaction value for running apparel and gear rose by more than 130% year over year in the first half of this year.

Global sports brands are also expanding their use of eco-friendly materials. Nike used Aero-FIT, made from textile waste, in national soccer team uniforms and training wear unveiled this year. Puma is producing soccer fan jerseys using its RE technology, which recycles textile waste. Adidas also sourced 99% of the polyester used in its products last year from recycled materials.

ASEMS is focusing on waterless dyeing. Its Waterless Yarn is a material that can produce multiple colors and patterns in a single yarn without using water during the dyeing process. The company is expanding its applications from sewing and embroidery threads for footwear to shoelaces, webbing and fabrics.

Waterless Yarn's strengths lie in its design flexibility and production versatility. Seams and embroidery can themselves be incorporated into product designs, and custom color combinations can be produced in small batches. The company says some sewing-thread products can also be supplied in quantities as small as one cone, offering an alternative for customers who have found product development challenging due to the high minimum order quantities for conventional space-dyed yarn.

The material is particularly useful for products that require a range of designs to be tested in small quantities, such as limited editions and brand collaborations. ASEMS plans to meet the more segmented design needs of sports and fashion brands by leveraging the yarn's ability to produce multiple colors and support small-batch production.

ASEMS has also secured supply and application cases with global brands. It is supplying 250D Waterless Yarn through Hwaseung and pursued registration and application of its sewing thread for Adidas' Adizero Impact 3.0 Skittles baseball cleat project. The company has been exploring sample development and applications with Nike's Flyknit and Jordan divisions, and has proposed using its materials for logo embroidery and stitching for Puma, ALO and Converse.

ASEMS is also seeking to secure overseas patents as it expands the technology's applications. Patents related to waterless dyeing have been registered or are pending in key markets, including the United States, Europe and Vietnam. The company says it is broadening the scope of its technology protection based on its technical capabilities and production efficiency for overseas manufacturing.

The next key challenge is expanding from footwear components into fabrics. New Balance has requested the production of multicolored fabric samples, confirming the potential to apply the technology to apparel materials. ASEMS is developing fabrics while also evaluating samples for shoelaces and webbing.

If fabric applications gain traction, waterless dyeing technology could expand beyond footwear components to apparel materials. ASEMS plans to meet demand in the sports and fashion markets for both a wide range of products made in small quantities and eco-friendly materials.

An ASEMS representative said, "We are continuing product development with global brands by leveraging Waterless Yarn's ability to produce a range of colors and support small-batch production." The representative added, "We plan to expand its applications from footwear materials to textiles and apparel."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.