Innovations in the sports textile sector are growing in number as consumers seek more high-performance solutions. Andy Rhodes looks at Giesswein’s highly successful campaign for its WOOL CROSS X sports shoe.
Crowdfunding marketplaces are often home to some of the more innovative products in the consumer product industry, with shoppers responding in growing numbers.
The crowdfunding market is big business. In 2018, global transaction value in the crowdfunding sector amounted to US$9,370m in 2018, according to market researcher Statista. Perhaps more impressively, this figure is expected to show a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.0% between 2018-2022, meaning that by 2022 the market could be worth US$25,919.3m.
Due to this, many campaigns prove to be highly successful, often smashing their funding targets. Austrian start-up Giesswein has achieved just that.
Giesswein's technology makes for a lightweight, yet breathable shoe
Image: Giesswein
Based in Tyrol in the west of the country, the company has developed the world’s first performance sports shoe featuring a 100% merino lining. According to the company, it opted for the unique merino wool lining due to its anti-odour, temperature-regulating and anti-sweat properties.
The shoes also make use of merino’s lightweight and high-comfort properties, meaning that they can be worn without socks, while Micro-Grip Insole Technology offers enhanced grip and stability control.
Each of these benefits of merino wool has convinced consumers to invest in the idea. “The Kickstarter campaign has been very successful,” says Markus Giesswein, the company’s CEO.
He adds: “We were fully funded in 26 minutes and reached a funding level of over US$661,000 so far €570,000.” Setting out to raise an initial €10,000, Giesswein has beaten that target by an impressive 57 times thus far.
The popularity is largely being attributed to the innovative use of merino wool in a product where it may not usually be considered to be the norm. According to the company’s Kickstarter campaign, it chose merino wool as “the small air chambers in our wool regulate the temperature in the shoe. When you wear this revolutionary shoe, you’ll experience a cooling effect during the hot, summer months and a warming effect during the cold winter months.”
The WOOL CROSS X shoes are available in a range of colourways
The 100% 3D stretch lining is also capable of drawing away up to 125ml of sweat due to the wool’s natural properties. Meanwhile, removable and replaceable insoles made from merino wool provide additional comfort which, according to the company, sets the WOOL CROSS X apart from regular sneakers and technical shoes. This combination of properties has proven to be a hit with crowdfunding backers.
Giesswein believes that crowdfunding platforms are highly important for both start-ups themselves as well as consumers, as they allow new consumer products to be launched that other companies may not take the chance on. “Crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter are very important. We can check the product demand before production starts and we can access new customer groups as well.”
As it has been able to assess the market before launching the product through the campaign, Giesswein has now been able to develop new ideas for the product for the future.
Left to right: Markus Giesswein, CEO, and his brother Johannes, head of product design
The shoes have been developed with sustainability in mind. According to the company, it sources wool from “some of the eco-friendliest farmers in the world,” with the sheep being fed natural grass and recycled rainwater, while no chemicals are used, and no animals are harmed during the process. This includes the controversial practice of sheep mulesing, which was recently banned in New Zealand.
The company also states that unlike in other areas of the footwear manufacturing industry, where 20% of the materials used is thrown away as scraps, the company has found a new method of processing its wool while producing 0% waste. 100% of its wool scraps are recycled and transformed into recycled yarns.
“Sustainability is in our DNA,” says Giesswein. “We were one of the first companies installing a water recycling unit over 25 years ago. Furthermore, we do recycle all cut pieces – they are transformed into reusable materials.”
The company states that the entire process, from initial idea to final prototype, took one year, and off the back of the success of the Kickstarter project, Giesswein is excited for the future of the product.
“We would like to stress that we are very happy that so many backers gave this huge amount of trust in our new project,” he adds.
