With the release of the new Stahls’ Hotronix® shoe platen, Josh Ellsworth, general manager, CAD-CUT® Direct™ has created a video that demonstrates the use of the platen as well as offering a variety of ideas and applications.
“Tools To Increase Your Return On Investment—The Shoe Platen from Hotronix” starts off with a demo on how to attach the platen to a Hotronix heat press. Ellsworth notes that the platen comes with an attached pad that allows it to accommodate a variety of shoes and to keep footwear stable for pressing.
He then discusses the type of heat-applied graphics materials best suited for decorating shoes. He notes that materials with a super sticky backing, such as CAD-CUT Direct Fashion-Film®, work best for small logos and graphics with fine detail. The sticky backing also conveniently sticks to the shoe while it’s being heat pressed.
Because shoe graphics are small, it’s possible to use leftover scraps of material that are less than a full sheet. After the graphics are positioned on the shoes, he uses a Flexible Application Pad to protect the shoe, which may have a low melt temperature depending on what material it is made from. He recommends always testing before decorating a pair of shoes.
A variety of shoes are decorated including baseball cleats, football cleats, soccer cleats, skate shoes, and even a pair of kid’s sneakers. Ellsworth notes that Stahls’ has had customers who have been decorating shoes for years. A popular graphic is to put the player’s last name and number on the shoe or the player’s position and team number.
He notes that sporting goods stores often get $10 per pair when customizing for the entire team, and Ellsworth felt that more could be charged for a single pair of shoes in a retail location. The cost of the material to decorate the shoe typically does not exceed 10 cents.
To view the video, to go
Stahls’ ID Direct™, a GroupeSTAHL Company, is a world leader specializing in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of heat printing technologies. Stahls’ ID Direct™ provides customers with the most cost effective and efficient ways to decorate garments. Stahls’ ID Direct™ is located in St. Clair Shores, MI with GroupeSTAHL operations located throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. For more information, go to stahlsID.com, call 800.4.STAHLS, or email
info@stahls.com.
