Adidas “prime knit” 2.0: higher productivity for footwear uppers
PATRICK SILVA SZATKOWSKI
Problem
Traditional cut-and-sew shoe uppers delivered imperfect fit, high waste, and poor sustainability—while adidas' flat knitting machines were too slow and costly for scale. The challenge: engineer a one-piece digitally knitted upper combining lightness, breathability, performance, and eco-friendliness at lower cost than flat knitting solutions in the market.
Solution
Delivered Adidas the Santoni Mecmor—advanced circular knitwear machine with dramatically higher productivity vs flat knitting—to pioneer adizero Primeknit:
One-piece digital knitting upper with technical yarns and breathability meshes, slashing upper costs
Controlled wastage thanks to the panel control made by the mecmor machine and recycled materials for maximum sustainability
Circular process 6x faster than flat knitting, enabling price-competitive premium uppers .
Impact
increase
in sales since launch
reduction
in waste due to controlled wastage and recycled yarns
“This revolutionary design will forever change the way we engineer shoes,
combining both premium innovation and maximum performance benefits.”
My role
Led Marketing & Business Development, positioning Santoni Mecmor as adidas' cost-performance solution.
Oversaw re-engineering of knitting process to beat flat knitting economics
Ensured seamless integration of technical/performance yarns with eco-meshes
Collaborated with engineering teams to deliver sustainable, high-productivity solutions across design and manufacturing
for more detailed info please visti : https://www.innovationintextiles.com/santoni-introduces-new-mecmor-machine-for-footwear/
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Posted Apr 2, 2024
Collaborated with the engineering team to find sustainable solutions for every aspect of the shoe's design. Oversaw the re-engineering of the knitting process.
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Clients
Adidas
