COOLMAX® EcoMade Socks Made From Fiber Containing Recycled Plastic Bottles Expand Further Into Legwear Market

WICHITA, Kan., Nov. 30, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The revolutionary COOLMAX® EcoMade socks, made with fiber containing 97% recycled resources such as plastic water bottles, have been steadily expanding into the legwear market. Performance and lifestyle brands including DeFeet, Injinji, Dansko, Fox River, Sports Tuff and retailer REI, are injecting the best of style, comfort and moisture management into COOLMAX® EcoMade socks for everything from high-performance sports like cycling and long-distance running to everyday comfort.

COOLMAX® EcoMade socks are an INVISTA apparel product innovation that have been designed and engineered to incorporate recycled raw materials that have been diverted from landfills. Tests show that COOLMAX® EcoMade socks have wicking performance just as well as their virgin resource counterpart, making them ideal for a variety of uses.    

"With COOLMAX® EcoMade socks, consumers do not have to sacrifice style or performance standards in order to wear apparel manufactured from recycled resources. There are now literally hundreds of styles of COOLMAX® EcoMade socks available nationwide in almost every color and design for both men and women," says INVISTA Global Legwear Director Denise Sakuma. "To have such a diverse list of brands using COOLMAX® EcoMade socks is a testament to the importance of products with environmental benefits in the legwear market."

To further educate consumers on the many benefits of COOLMAX® EcoMade socks, and the vast array of multi-purpose socks being manufactured, INVISTA has launched an awareness campaign that includes print and online advertising, public relations efforts, promotions and a new informational microsite, www.COOLMAXECOMADE.com.

The campaign, simply called "Imagination," aims to explain the high-tech process of turning plastic bottles into socks in an enchanting new way.  The ads and microsite feature lively animated robots, each with a unique name and function, going through the steps of the bottle-to-sock process by slicing, dicing and threading. The accompanying headline reads, "COOLMAX® EcoMade Fiber -- 97% recycled plastic bottles, 100% imagination."  The ads will appear in print and online beginning November 2010 in publications including Women's Wear Daily and Runner's World to showcase both the fashion and performance applications of COOLMAX® EcoMade socks.

The process for making COOLMAX® EcoMade socks begins with post-consumer bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, being cleaned and converted into polymer flakes. The flakes are then converted into chips, melted and extruded into fiber designed to provide high-performance, permanent wicking benefits. This fiber is then  spun into yarn for legwear.  

Made with a 4-channel cross section for outstanding moisture movement, COOLMAX® EcoMade socks dry quickly, help keep the wearer cool and comfortable, maintain a natural feel that's soft, lightweight and breathable, and are permanent and effective.  

For more information on how COOLMAX® EcoMade socks deliver on the COOLMAX® fabric brand promise as "The Ultimate Performance Fabric," please visit www.COOLMAXECOMADE.com.

About INVISTA

INVISTA is an integrated fibers and polymers business with a global presence. It operates four major businesses: Apparel; Intermediates; Performance Surfaces and Materials; and Polymer and Resins. INVISTA delivers exceptional value for its customers through market insights and technology innovations, along with a powerful portfolio of some of the most recognized global brands and trademarks in their respective industries including: ADI-PURE®, ANTRON®, AVORA® FR, INVISTA® C12, COMFOREL®, COOLMAX®, CORDURA®, CORFREE®, DACRON®, INVISTA® DBE, DYTEK®, ESP®,  FRESHFLEX™, CORDURA® NYCO, LYCRA®, PERFORMA®, POLARGUARD®, POLYSHIELD®, POLYCLEAR®, SOLARMAX®, STAINMASTER®, SUPPLEX®, SUPRIVA™, TACTEL®, TACTESSE®, TERATE®, TERATHANE® and THERMOLITE®. More information on INVISTA can be found at www.INVISTA.com. 

SOURCE INVISTA