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w w w. s g b - s p o r t s . c o m
SGB
Sports and Outdoor
Outdoor Retail - HI TEC
house development, is V-Lite. V-Lite and ion mask are
perfect partners; if you're absorbing less water, your shoes
are not so heavy, and you're adding no extra weight with
the inclusion of a membrane. Because you can treat
anything, you can literally treat any shoe; but with HPi
shoes, we're not saying they're waterproof – in fact quite
the opposite. To give an extreme example, if you have a
pair of sandals, a sandal has an obvious open design so
your feet will clearly get wet. But if that product absorbs
much less water making it more lightweight, it's not going
to attract sand sticking to it; it will be more comfortable…
There's really an almost limitless amount of opportunity
for this to be used on footwear, because it's a post-
production process.
In the waterproof (WPi) story, you have six key
ion mask can also benefits: waterproof, hydrophobic, breathable,
make a signicant lightweight, stay clean longer and environmentally
difference to how friendly. In the HPi story, we're literally substituting
mucky shoes can get waterproof for quicker drying.
All of those six benefits will either scale up or scale
down depending on the product itself – this can be
applied to sandals, approach shoes, casual shoes…
SGB: The technology almost sounds like a magic wand…
JL: It really is fantastic and it has really different benefits,
category. We're not saying your feet will stay dry in our huge, huge success for us. and very clear ones to us. But it is not a magic wand; it is a
HPi product, what we are saying is that there are We are still very cautious, in a way, how this surface enhancement treatment whose benefits are
essentially four benefits. The first with the hydrophobic groundbreaking technology is presented – we know it is dependant on the material it is treating. That's why we've
product because it's less absorbing, leads on to the other such a new thing for the industry that we need to ensure been so clear with the HPi and WPi categorizations; some
three. Being less absorbing means less water can get in to the benefits are communicated clearly and precisely using people have looked at this and thought any shoe would go
the fabric of the shoe which means it's quicker drying and the results from our research. We decided to launch the through the process and be instantly waterproof – that's
it remains lighter. Any dirt carried in that water is also technology in what we regard to be our best recognized definitely not the case. We must make it clear that ion
repelled as effectively meaning it stays cleaner for longer. and respected product in the Altitude. We have a trusted mask treats the individual fibres of material; it is not a
On that last point, our wear testing has shown some quite history with consumers buying that boot, so to be able to coating or a membrane application. Used on leather, the
dramatic results. supply them with an upgrade of a product already well result is waterproofing; used on mesh it decreases the
liked is an extra incentive. shoe's ability to take on water, bringing other benefits.
SGB: HPi has expanded across the range from a set price What we don't want to do is over-promise and under-
point up, is that right? SGB: What's the potential impact of the technology on the deliver. We are being careful with developing the two
JL: Yes, we've gone from what were walking shoes in terms multi-activity outdoor shoe? distinct categories, and explaining the different benefits of
of the Altitude, to different types of product that would JL: That's where the ion mask HPi story has great legs for the two.
truly benefit from the ion mask treatment e.g. trail What we're doing is launching a technology to the
running shoes the V-Lite Hornet HPi , amphibious / trade and the consumer. As we've said in the literature, it
sandal-type shoes like the Targa HPi and is a quantum leap like moving from cash to card or
Carrera HPi. In those casual shoes the stay- landline to mobile. You're dealing with a different set of
clean element of ion mask really comes into benefits, and something that ostensibly is very different to
its own, as a pair of hiking boots you'd really what's out there in terms of current membrane
expect to get muddy. technology. HI-TEC are the first to market so
there's an onus on us and a responsibility
SGB: What's the impact been of the WPi product, to communicate the technology in
the V-Lite Altitude Ultra, at retailer level? Has it the right way.
raised the perception of HI-TEC's walking
product?
JL: It's hard to say; we've been pushing the
technology story from a group perspective, so
we've been involved in launching it to markets
around the world and the reaction every time
we demonstrate the technology is open-
mouthed wonder. That has translated from our
internal staff to our distributors, to many retailers.
We're close to 100 per cent orders from presentations of our brand. We're developing it all
the V-Lite Altitude boot; it's been a 'wow' factor we've the time, we're looking at how the
never experienced before and it's translated into orders technology can add value to us as a brand and Trail Eruption Ws Dove
for that particular product, and in that sense it's been a to our product, and one of our core technologies, an in-
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