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Holofiber Continues to Expand in Outdoor Market from the Bottom Up
With a host of new customers and line extensions with existing
customers, 2005 will be the year that Holofiber products begin
popping up on retail shelves all across the country. A number
of manufacturers are beginning to offer garments made with
Holofiber, and existing offerings are being expanded.
“Aetna Felt Corporation feels very fortunate to have obtained
the license to use Holofiber in our product line,” stated Toni
Tackette, Division Manager. “In fact, we feel that Holofiber is
our
‘
golden egg’. This is the most exciting, innovative product to hit
the market in a very long time. Accounts that we have never
been able to get appointments with are
now calling us to see our Holofiber products. ”
Aetna is manufacturing a line of Holofiber insoles and knee, ankle
and wrist wraps for private label distribution in food, drug
and mass merchants across the U.S. and Canada. Currently,
the line includes three insoles aimed at the diabetic market:
100% Holofiber and Medicare-reimbursable, a military
sports insole of 50% Holofiber, and wraps in 100% Holofiber.
In the very near future, Aetna will be introducing a line
of athletic insoles made with 50% Holofiber and Breath-O-Prene
massaging gel insoles, tri-performance inserts, massaging
beaded Breath-O-Prene insoles.
Breath-O-Prene is Aetna’s new
innovative family of fabrics
brought to market to replace
most of the common foam and
foam laminates used in medical,
sporting good, and specialty
applications, adding complete
breathability to ensure the easy
movement of moisture away
from unwanted areas. This new
technology is replacing the old
standards like Neoprene and
EVA in many of the most difficult
applications available. And it’s
outperforming those old products
in both capabilities and testing data.
Aetna products can also be found
on the web site www.aetnafelt.com
under the “foot products” link. In
addition, the company offers a full
line of podiatry products sold to
doctors, hospitals and the
sports medicine market through
large distributors, and is working
with an orthopedic company
with distribution in the U.S. and
Europe.
Superfeet, with massive distribution
in ten countries around
the world, has added Holofiber
to its Trim-To-Fit insoles after
enjoying much success with the
fiber in its Custom line. The
insoles are available at most
specialty outdoor retailers,
including REI, Roadrunner, Fleet
Foot, EMS, Sport Chalet and
many others. The medical
insoles in 100% Holofiber are
available by prescription only
through medical professionals.
Evan Wert, Superfeet Marketing
Manager, said, “We are very excited
about adding Holofiber to our
Trim-to-Fit line and feel it is one
of the leading innovative materials
to hit the market. The health
message fits our brand message
perfectly and helps provide the
best to our customers.” From a
personal point of view, Wert
added, “I have used the Holofiber
materials now for over two years and found it to help speed
recovery to my knees, wrist and
elbow after overuse. I can’t tell you
how it works, but I know it does.”
Superfeet was one of the
first companies to use Holofiber
commercially in its product line.
The company saw the benefits
to its customers even before the
clinical studies were done and
found it helped them personally
with various aliments.
With a new segmentation
system, all Superfeet products
now fall into four categories
Active, Dress, Performance, and
Custom and Medical. The
Custom and Medical lines with
Holofiber are available now, with
the others coming to market in
March, 2005.
Eastern Mountain Sportswear,
one of America’s premier outdoor
retailers, added Holofiber to its
private label group starting with
the mens’ and womens’ Airator
1/4 Zip Top which will be available
in stores in April ‘05. For Fall ‘05,
EMS is working on both a seamless
Holofiber program, as well as a
cut-and-sew Holofiber compression
top and tight.
The footwear industry knows
the value of Holofiber under
foot! Additional new customers
that have signed on as Holofiber
licensees include LB Evans, with
a leather travel scruff and
matching travel case, a casual
slipper and a driving moccasin
all three with HolofiberMax linings,
and Woolrich with a Mesh
Recovery slipper, good for
indoor and outdoor wear. Bite,
Brooks Sports, Montrail, and
GoldToe have also joined the
Holofiber family. And in apparel,
Moving Comfort is working on
some exciting new concepts.
From hiking boots to at-home
slippers to tops, tights and medical
wraps, comfort and performance
are available from the bottom up. Back to main page |
