News
Kuraray Fastening Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Osaka, President: Mitsuhiko Takaoka, hereafter "Kuraray Fastening"), the manufacturer and marketer of the hook and loop fasteners MAGIC TAPE and MAGILOCK, in partnership with The Columbus Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Tokyo, President: Etsuro Hattori), has developed mule-bands (patent pending) for use with mule-type sandals from materials produced by the Kuraray Group. The Columbus Co., Ltd. will commence sales of this product at department stores, retail chains and drug stores across Japan on August 1.
The mule-band combines Kuraray Fastening's MAGIC TAPE with Kuraray's SEPTON styrene elastomer resin. In use, a clear strap composed of SEPTON wraps around the instep of the foot, firmly held in place by a MAGIC TAPE section that is secured underneath the shoe.
Characteristics of this product include: 1. firmly secures the heel to the shoe when walking to prevent heel slippage; 2. relieves foot fatigue when walking by firmly securing the heel to the shoe; 3. reduces noises caused by heel motion by securing the heel to the shoe; 4. can be easily attached and removed through the use of MAGIC TAPE; 5. the transparent strap is difficult to see and so does not detract from the design of shoes.
Product Outline
1. Material
Transparent strap section: SEPTON styrene elastomer
Adhesive section: MAGIC TAPE hook and loop fastener
2. Size
10mm wide × 28.5cm long
3. Retail Price
2 piece set is ¥840 (including tax)
4. The Columbus Co., Ltd. sales targets
40,000 units in the first year and 80,000 units after three years
Overview of Kuraray Fastening Co., Ltd.
| 1. Headquarters | 1-12-39, Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka (Shin Hankyu Building 9F) |
|---|---|
| 2. President | Mitsuhiko Takaoka |
| 3. Capital | ¥100 million |
| 4. Number of employees | 120 |
| 5. Business activities | Development, production and sale of MAGIC TAPE hook-and-loop fasteners, MAGILOCK extrusion molded hook fasteners and other related hook-and-loop fastener products |
- * MAGIC TAPE is a Kuraray trademark
- * The Company holds a 60% share of the Japanese market for hook-and-loop fasteners
Overview of The Columbus Co., Ltd.
| 1. Headquarters | 16-7 Kotobuki 4 chome, Taito-ku, Tokyo |
|---|---|
| 2. President | Etsuro Hattori |
| 3. Capital | ¥101.25 million |
| 4. Number of employees | 400 |
| 5. Business activities | manufacture and sale of shoe polishes and creams, shoe products and shoe finishing chemicals |
