TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - As some teams are competing into the World Cup quarterfinals, Taiwan is also making its way to take presence of the world's most-watched football game - through the custom jerseys and football boots of several national teams.
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia, jerseys of the Brazil, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, England, Japan, and Egypt teams are made of Taiwan's innovative fabrics, coming from five Taiwanese textile giants - Far Eastern New Century,ShinKong Synthetic Fibers, Fu Hsun Fibers, Men-Chuen Fibre, and New Wide Enterprise, according to Chinese-language CommonWealth magazine.
The magazine reported that the five are known for manufacturing excellent sweat-management fabrics or seamless knitting technology, which can keep wearers feeling cool and comfortable. Some of them can produce outstanding athletic socks that combine seamless sock design with advanced fiber technology.
On the other hand, Taiwanese footwear manufacturers Pou Chen and Feng Tay help develop ideal football boots for players, said the report.
Taiwan Footwear Manufacturers Association Secretary-General Lai Chih-Chien (賴奇見) told a reporter that many Taiwanese companies provide OEM/ODM services for top global sports brands, who usually provide design concepts to Taiwanese manufacturers to put together innovative fabrics and show-making know-how to hammer out shoes that would allow athletes to perform at their best.
Lai added that 80 percent of shoe materials, threads, or 'shoe last' engineering are "made in Taiwan."
The Liberty Times reported earlier that Far Eastern New Century supplies custom jerseys for the Brazil, England, Saudi Arabia teams at the 2018 World Cup, and the company also provides basketball jerseys for a majority of NBA teams.
