Unveiled at the Goldwin booth during the Ultra-Trail® Village in Chamonix, France
Goldwin Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Takao Watanabe) announces that its in-house research and development facility, Goldwin Tech Lab, has developed a breakthrough technology that allows insulation performance to be significantly adjusted using air. This innovation will be showcased for the first time at the company’s debut booth at the Ultra-Trail® Village in Chamonix, France.
In April 2024, Goldwin launched “Goldwin 500,” a project designed to accelerate the global expansion of the Goldwin brand. As part of these efforts, Goldwin will participate for the first time in the Ultra-Trail® Village, an annual event held in late August in Chamonix, southeastern France, starting on August 25, 2025.
At the booth, Goldwin will unveil and showcase prototypes featuring its new technology, which allows for a significant variation in insulation by adjusting the amount of air held within garments. The patent-pending technology employs multiple air layers within the clothing structure, providing a level of thermal adaptability that was previously impossible.
The new adjustment function offers adaptable insulation for activities with large temperature variations in a single day, such as mountain climbing and trail running. It is also effective in urban life, where the weather conditions can suddenly change. With versatility that spans sports and everyday use, the technology reduces the need for frequent outfit changes and flexibly adapts to a wide range of climates and situations.
■ Technology Overview
The concept for this development was inspired by triple-pane windows, renowned for their superior insulation in housing. Triple-pane windows enhance thermal insulation by layering three panes of glass with air gaps in between. Similarly, we considered that incorporating air layers in clothing could increase insulation and expand the range of adjustable warmth.
In addition, while insulation improves as the thickness of the air layer increases, the air begins to convect beyond a certain thickness and no longer provides additional warmth. For this reason, we conducted repeated studies to identify the most effective thickness for clothing applications.
Improved Insulation Through Layered Structure
• Comparative research results on insulation between garments with and without layered structures.
• The more layers that are added, the greater the insulation performance.
After approximately two years of repeated prototyping to help adapt these findings for practical use in clothing, we developed a structure that employs geometrically spaced adhesive patterns to layer multiple air layers of uniform thickness.
By incorporating this technology, a single garment can substitute for multiple different items, from lightweight jackets to heavy down jackets, each offering widely different levels of insulation.
Air Layers Inside Clothing
• Newly developed structure composed of stacked air layers
In an era of climate change, when products designed to withstand extreme temperature fluctuations are in high demand, this technology offers garments that adapt flexibly to environmental conditions. Furthermore, by avoiding conventional filling materials such as down or synthetic fibers inside the garments, the technology also reduces material use during the production process, helping lower environmental impact.
Prototype
By applying this new technology, Goldwin has begun developing a prototype that could revolutionize long-distance trail running, where conditions are often extreme and temperature swings can be severe. For maximum performance in a single garment, the design is divided into zones: the front features a triple-layer structure to maximize the range of insulation; the back and upper sleeves use a double-layer structure; and high-mobility areas, such as the side panels and underarms, feature a single layer. This enables wearers to adjust insulation depending on external temperatures and body heat. The result is a new proposal that could redefine apparel for outdoor activities.
*1) Ultra-Trail® Village
Held every late August in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in southeastern France, the Ultra-Trail® Village is part of a trail running event that circles Mont Blanc, crossing the borders of France, Switzerland, and Italy. Attracting more than 10,000 runners from around the world, the event features booths from brands and organizers throughout the competition period.
https://snowdonia.utmb.world/ultratrailvillage