First Graphene Lands First Order From US Sports Shoe Brand Flux Footwear
Key Takeaways
- First Graphene has secured its first PureGRAPH purchase order from US-based Flux Footwear, its first commercial production application in sporting and athletic footwear.
- Flux is the third footwear client after Steel Blue (Australia) and PT Alasmas Berkat Utama (Indonesia), showing the application can transfer across customers, categories and regions.
- The order value, volumes and delivery timing are undisclosed, and the company states it is not itself financially material.
- PureGRAPH will progressively replace Flux's existing graphene models as production requirements increase, giving the supply position room to grow.
- The target sports shoe market is valued at more than US$150 billion and projected to exceed US$212 billion by 2035, but management only claims potential pathways to recurring demand.
First PureGRAPH production order secured with Flux Footwear
Graphene is turning up in gym shoes, and a new order shows it. First Graphene (ASX: FGR) has secured its first purchase order from US-based Flux Footwear for PureGRAPH®, which will go into graphene-enhanced athletic and leisure footwear.
The order is First Graphene’s first commercial production application in the sporting and athletic footwear sector. Flux becomes the third footwear client in the company’s portfolio to use PureGRAPH®. The announcement does not disclose the order value, volumes or delivery timing.
Key highlights from the announcement:
- First purchase order secured with Flux Footwear
- Flux is the third footwear client in First Graphene’s growing global portfolio
- First commercial production application in a global sports shoe market valued at more than US$150 billion
Michael Bell, Managing Director and CEO
“The first production order for Flux Footwear represents another important commercial milestone for First Graphene, delivering a new revenue stream…”
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How will PureGRAPH be used in Flux’s footwear?
Where the graphene goes
Flux will incorporate PureGRAPH® into its athletic and leisure range, with the aim of delivering strength and durability enhancements to its Graphene XT performance gym shoes. Following recent development work, PureGRAPH® was selected for Flux’s graphene-enhanced range and will progressively replace existing graphene models as production requirements increase.
Graphene is used in high-wear areas of the outsole to enhance durability, abrasion and tear resistance, grip and flexibility without unnecessary additional weight.
Why graphene in shoes?
Graphene is an additive, meaning a material mixed in to improve the properties of something else. In footwear, the source says it is used in the outsole areas that wear down fastest.
For you as an investor, the appeal is simple. Management says consumers and manufacturers increasingly prioritise longevity and performance, and a shoe that lasts longer is an easier product to sell.
How does the order build on proven footwear success?
The Flux order extends First Graphene’s formulation knowledge and commercial experience from industrial and safety footwear into the substantially larger sporting, athletic and leisure footwear segment. The company says PureGRAPH® has previously progressed through development, independent testing and commercial production in work and safety footwear.
The established precedents are:
- Steel Blue, an Australian safety footwear manufacturer
- PT Alasmas Berkat Utama, an Indonesian mining work boot manufacturer
- Flux Footwear, a US athletic and leisure footwear company
| Customer | Segment | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Steel Blue | Safety footwear | Australia |
| PT Alasmas Berkat Utama | Mining work boots | Indonesia |
| Flux Footwear | Athletic and leisure footwear | US |
The company is upfront that the initial order is “not itself financially material” to it. The significance lies elsewhere: it reinforces First Graphene’s ability to transfer an established PureGRAPH® application into a new customer, product category and geographic market, which the company calls an important component of its commercialisation strategy.
What that tells you is that the value here is about repeatability, not the size of this single purchase order.
Footwear is not the only place PureGRAPH® has reached a commercial product, with Vector’s Peltyr heat flux sensor already launched in the UK under a 36-month partner agreement that gives First Graphene a second route to market.
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What is the market opportunity and what comes next?
The announcement cites Precedence Research for two separate figures. The global sports shoe market is valued at more than US$150 billion, and is anticipated to be valued at more than US$212 billion by 2035.
Flux has a well-established global customer base, delivering graphene-enhanced footwear primarily into the US market. According to the company, the order will establish a pathway for penetration into these markets through ongoing PureGRAPH® supply as Flux progresses production.
Bell described the agreement as providing “potential pathways to recurring PureGRAPH® production demand”. The word potential matters, as the announcement gives no volumes or forecasts.
Bell also framed the progression as the goal of the company’s commercial strategy:
Michael Bell, Managing Director and CEO
“…this progression from development and validation to production order and potential recurring revenue is exactly what First Graphene is focused on delivering from our commercial strategy.”
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