Salomon’s smart shoe production at the factory is expected to commence in mid-2021. The first Salomon footwear from the ASF 4.0 factory will be produced shortly after that and be available for purchase in December 2021. Salomon Group is a French sports equipment manufacturing company based in Annecy, France. It was founded in 1947 by François Salomon in the heart of the French Alps and is currently the European leader in outdoor sports equipment. Salomon constitutes Amer Sports, owned since 2019 by the Chinese group ANTA Sports with sister brands Wilson, Atomic, Sports Tracker, Suunto, Precor, and Arc’teryx.
Sports brand Salomon and textile designer and manufacturer Chamatex have come together to launch a smart factory concept in France using the latest automated digital manufacturing process to produce knitted sports shoes. The construction of ASF 4.0 will also create new jobs in France by employing approximately 50 individuals, from skilled operators to engineers and programmers.
Chamatex, a manufacturer of textiles since 1980, chose Salomon as its primary partner in the ASF 4.0 factory construction because of the historical collaboration between the two companies and the technical know-how gained over that period. Many of the Salomon shoes made at the ASF 4.0 factory will use the Matryx® material that Chamatex supplied to Salomon for the Cross / Pro trail running shoe, which debuted for the spring/summer 2020 season. The Cross / Pro has a four-way sock-like upper with multi-fit technology to adapt to your foot shape and foot-hold preference. The Matryx® exoskeleton is designed to hold the foot securely in place during a technical trail run.
Localized production has been a longtime goal for Salomon, which has had its roots in the small town of Annecy for more than 70 years. Today, that goal has become a reality due to a partnership with local textile production company Chamatex. The two companies will team up on the construction of Advanced Shoe Factory 4.0 (ASF 4.0), a new footwear manufacturing facility in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. ASF 4.0 was founded by Chamatex to design, build, and operate a smart factory (known as a 4.0 industrial tool) dedicated to the automated production of sports shoes in Ardoix, France.
The factory, located just 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Salomon headquarters, will have the capability to produce footwear from start to finish. The agreement makes both Chamatex and Salomon shareholders of ASF 4.0.
