The Top 10 Footwear Brands Leading Textile Innovation

In performance footwear, ‘innovation’ is no longer just foam chemistry or carbon plates. The real competitive edge is increasingly built in the upper: engineered knits, data mapped thread placement, abrasion proof woven textiles, and new material systems designed to reduce waste while improving fit, durability, and breathability. The brands winning this race are the ones treating textiles like a research category with dedicated labs, proprietary platforms, and repeatable manufacturing processes not just seasonal design.

Below is a Research + Innovation ranking focused specifically on textile and upper construction leadership: proprietary material platforms, evidence of data driven textile engineering, and demonstrated investment in R&D infrastructure.

Top 10 Footwear Brands for Textile Innovation

Rank	Brand	Signature textile platform (proof points)	R&I signal
1	Nike	Flyknit plus deep research lab infrastructure	Sport research labs and ongoing innovation engine.
2	adidas	STRUNG, Primeknit, Futurecraft programs	Data driven thread placement and advanced manufacturing.
3	Salomon	Matryx uppers in trail performance	High durability textile engineering for abrasion resistance.
4	Under Armour	IntelliKnit upper systems	Zonal stretch and containment built into knit structures.
5	ASICS	Engineered knit and Motion Wrap uppers	Technical upper platforms built for race level lockdown.
6	New Balance	Engineered knit, digital knit customization	Software driven zoned knit design and customization pilots.
7	PUMA	evoKNIT and performance upper tech stack	Knit based fit systems paired with elite performance lines.
8	HOKA	Engineered jacquard and Matryx trail uppers	Upper refinement tied to performance racing and trail.
9	On	Engineered mesh plus proprietary cushioning ecosystem	Upper work integrated with brand run tech platform.
10	Allbirds	Tree fiber textiles and Trino yarn system	Material science story built on natural fiber substitution.

1. Nike — Textile innovation as an industrial system

Nike’s edge is scale plus infrastructure: Flyknit helped redefine modern knitted uppers, and it sits inside a broader R&D engine that includes advanced sport research facilities and ongoing innovation investment. The strategy is simple: build textile platforms that can be tuned for performance, produced at volume, and iterated quickly across categories.

2. adidas — Data driven textiles and next gen manufacturing

adidas has pushed textile innovation into precision engineering. STRUNG is explicitly positioned around athlete data informing thread placement, while Futurecraft programs show adidas treating footwear creation as a manufacturing frontier, not just design. This is textile innovation with a lab mindset: measurable, repeatable, scalable.

3. Salomon — The abrasion proof trail textile leader

Salomon’s textile strategy is performance realism: uppers built to survive rock, dust, water, and long mileage. Matryx is central here, built around lightweight durability and abrasion resistance. Salomon wins by making textile engineering a non negotiable part of trail credibility.

4. Under Armour — Knit as fit control, not just comfort

Under Armour’s IntelliKnit direction focuses on zonal stretch and containment, positioning knit as a functional support system. The brand’s strategy is to make knit do the job that overlays used to do, cleaner construction, better movement, and less bulk.

5. ASICS — Technical uppers built for race execution

ASICS continues to modernize uppers with engineered knits in core franchises and Motion Wrap in its racing line, emphasizing lockdown, breathability, and stability through textile architecture. Strategy wise, ASICS treats uppers as performance equipment: secure the foot, reduce distraction, and translate energy cleanly.

6. New Balance — Zoned knit plus software driven design

New Balance has leaned into engineered knit uppers designed through software to create stretch and structure zones, and it has experimented with digital customization in knit uppers via partnerships. The strategy is manufacturing meets personalization: knit as a programmable surface.

7. PUMA — Knit fit platforms feeding performance lines

PUMA’s evoKNIT approach sits in a broader technology stack supporting its performance franchises. The strategy is consistent: use knit to deliver fit and comfort benefits, then integrate it with speed oriented product stories in training and running.

8. HOKA — Upper refinement as a performance multiplier

HOKA is best known for underfoot geometry, but its textile innovation shows up in racing and trail where uppers must disappear under load. Engineered jacquard meshes and Matryx implementations signal a strategy of making the upper lighter, more breathable, and more locked in as speeds increase.

9. On — Upper design integrated with a proprietary ride system

On’s innovation story is typically framed around CloudTec and Helion, but the brand’s textile approach supports that system with engineered mesh and sustainability oriented fabric choices in key models. The strategy is ecosystem design: the upper is tuned to complement the ride signature.

10. Allbirds — Material substitution as an innovation strategy

Allbirds is not trying to out race super shoes. It’s innovating through materials: tree fiber textiles, Trino blends, and a broader push away from petroleum based synthetics. The strategy is clear and commercially distinct: win with comfort and sustainability that material science consumers can understand.