Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA -  Gold Long John, the world’s leading innovative supplier of fabric to global footwear brands, is applying EMPEL® Nø-Wick™ waterless and PFAS-free finishing platform in its Vietnam mill supply chain. Developed by Green Theme Technologies, the product stands apart by preventing wicking more effectively than any competing chemistry while remaining 100% water-free and PFAS-free. The adoption by the top footwear fabric supplier is instrumental in creating sustainable, high-performing footwear for many leading footwear brands around the world.

“Our Oeko Tex-certified EMPEL® platform is a solution for the future,” said Martin Flora, President of Global Business Development with GTT. “It creates the highest performing finishes available, all without the use of water or PFAS chemicals. Gold Long John was our first major footwear mill adopter in Asia and has been instrumental in providing the commercial readiness needed for major footwear brands to easily adopt EMPEL® Nø-Wick™. Because of their contribution and input, we’re now able to scale our clean chemistry throughout SE Asia and make a real difference in the fight against water, carbon and chemical pollution, all while providing the world’s best performance.”

Gold Long John is known as a market leader and innovator in the production of performance footwear fabrics and was the first major footwear mill that helped GTT commercialize EMPEL®. In 2023, Gold Long John installed the EMPEL® proprietary production machinery in their Vietnam factory and is now moving forward with plans to install machinery in their Taiwan facility. The proprietary machinery changes the way in which anti-wicking chemistries are molecularly bonded to footwear, protecting them from inclement weather.

“Green Theme and their EMPEL® products will help us stay at the forefront of global sustainability solutions, allowing us to supply our footwear brands with highly innovative, cleaner, better performing materials for their products,” said Kevin Wen, President of Gold Long John. “We see this as a win for us, for our partner brands, and for global environmental sustainability efforts.”

EMPEL® Nø-WickTM challenges the market perception that cleaner manufacturing processes mean loss of performance. The opposite is true, as efficient manufacturing performs better, reduces waste and lasts longer. The benefits are obvious, Green Theme contends.