After Nike revolutionarily introduced Flyknit uppers in 2012 and gradually applied them to multiple shoe models, Adidas also followed suit with its own Flyknit footwear products. With the market cultivation efforts of these two industry leaders, the penetration rate of Flyknit upper athletic shoes is expected to gradually increase, becoming another major category alongside traditional upper materials such as fabric, leather, and suede.
As the market demand for one-piece molded upper athletic shoes has not yet seen rapid growth, and considering the high equipment replacement costs for shoe manufacturers, the footwear industry has not yet reached the stage of large-scale adoption of upper machines. However, early signs of market change are beginning to appear. Jinjiang Jin Phoenix Flyknit Upper Technology Co., Ltd. is one of them.
Global Shoes Network: How do you address the talent issue?
General Manager Yang: At our headquarters in Zhejiang, we already have a number of technically proficient staff, and some will be assigned to Jinjiang. On the other hand, we have already established partnerships with certain local universities, which will recommend outstanding talents to us. We will then provide them with professional training and assessments to select the best candidates. Of course, we also welcome experienced professionals from the industry to collaborate with us.
Global Shoes Network: What kind of challenges are you currently facing?
General Manager Yang: We have the equipment, the technology, and the talent—everything is in place except for customers. As an out-of-town company, we’re new to the area, and what we lack the most right now is a customer base.
Global Shoes Network: What are the company’s plans and expectations going forward?
General Manager Yang: To be honest, with such fierce market competition, even the best product can go unnoticed if it’s not well promoted. What we need to do most right now is to let potential customers know we exist, so promotion is essential. I’ve looked at the Global Shoes Network website and find it quite professional. I hope we can use this platform to broaden our sales channels. On the other hand, we also hope to establish connections with local footwear material suppliers to effectively convert customer resources.
Global Shoes Network: What is your view on the market prospects of 3D Flyknit uppers?
General Manager Yang: Compared to traditional uppers, one-piece Flyknit uppers are more environmentally friendly, lightweight, comfortable, efficient, and convenient than seamless uppers. Athletic shoes using this technology do not lag behind traditional manufacturing methods in cost under mass production conditions, but due to their currently higher prices and smaller sales volume, they are still in the product introduction phase. The market is in a cultivation period, and penetration rates are expected to gradually rise. As the penetration of one-piece molded athletic shoes increases, knitting flat knitting machines for uppers are expected to gradually replace warp knitting machines in the future. In this evolving landscape, our company may welcome a market even larger than that of wool sweater knitting machines.