For Spring/Summer 2021, Japanese outdoor brand Goldwin is launching Paper Fiber Socks, a range of sustainable socks made in Japan.

This collection is made of ecological paper fiber – born from the traditional Japanese material “Washi” – developed in typical Japanese style, mixing cutting-edge technology and craftsmanship of the Rising Sun and the material will also be used to develop an entire clothing line.

“Washi” is the traditional Japanese paper, thin, durable, long-lasting, with a history of more than 1400 years – UNESCO has included it in the list of intangible cultural heritage. Paper fiber has been used as a household material in Japan to control humidity inside homes.

The raw material for Paper Fiber is environmentally friendly as it is biodegradable and the plant from which the fibers are extracted will grow back in two to three years. Because of these great qualities, Goldwin’s R&D team decided to use Paper Fiber for apparel, and a use of its effects not only in sports, but also in other environments, is being studied. 

The first challenge Goldwin faced was the stiffness of paper fibers and the need to combine paper yarn, which is a short fiber, with nylon, which has a longer fiber. After a long process of trial and error to find the perfect blend of the two fibers, the Japanese brand developed the most effective weaving method. The production of paper fiber socks is carried out in Kitai, a knitting mill in Nara prefecture, while the yarn is made by the Toyo Sangyo factory and the product is always tested at the Goldwin Tech Lab in Toyama.

There are two strong points of this new range of socks: an excellent ability to absorb moisture, not through harmful chemicals, but through the exclusive rough texture of the paper fiber and the support of the plantar arch, present in all Goldwin models.

To celebrate Japanese craftsmanship, Goldwin created an artwork in collaboration with art collective KMNR™ – who inherited the 300-year tradition of Neo Washi – and art director Shun Sasaki. The result of this union is a work of art that reflects the values of Japan and the craft tradition through the designers’ creations, a typographic installation on Washi of Japanese words that represent the values of the project and the characteristics of the paper fiber.