Michelin signs a new partnership agreement for technical soles .

Michelin©

The Chinese textile giant Jihua is joining forces with top global tire manufacturer Michelin to grab a major share of the world high-performance soles and technical footwear market. Their partnership was cemented by an agreement signed on November 26, 2014 in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

A shared vision and innovative strategy

Jihua and Michelin, represented by their respective entities JV International and Michelin Lifestyle, intend to identify pertinent solutions on a market which is hungry for technology.
The purpose of the partnership is to manufacture and distribute high-performance soles with a view to securing a 5-10% share of the market (some 500 million pairs of soles) in the space of five years.

Michelin©

Michelin know-how serving Michelin Lifestyle

Since 2001, Michelin Lifestyle has been creating licensed products which embody safety, innovation, performance and environmental protection. It provides an opportunity for Michelin know-how - rubber compounds, novel materials, tread patterns and innovative technology – to be extended beyond the world of tires to the  design and prototyping of non-tire related products.

JV International, a big name in footwear design

JV International has been designing soles and collaborating on technical footwear for more than twenty years now and is charge of coordinating projects at global level from identifying needs right through to manufacturing and supplying finished products.

Michelin©

Visible performance right from the word go

The first creations were technical soles for work shoes, mountain biking shoes and motorcycle boots. These technical soles distributed by TCX, Northwave and Diadora enjoy all the benefits of Michelin’s tire expertise in terms of:

• grip,
• long life, and
• comfort.

 Video in French about the new partnership : Here



Source Michelin Groupe©