Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-01
They ARE WEARING
NEOLIN NOW; WILL
HELP WIN THE war
Decreasing Supply Of Leather
for SoIes Bring New Syn
thetic Product to Front

Among the economic conditions
that the war has emphasized there Is
none more curious or critical than
the sole leather situation. For years
leather has been q staple In the man
ufacture of soles for footwear, but
conditions within the last few years
have been changing. -
The gradually decreasing acreage
available for cattle raising, has
greatly limited . the number OF
cattle raised in our western country,
and has cut down the supply Of hides,
which IN turn has caused leather
prices TO advance with veN little
likelihood of q return to former lev
els.
/ And there is little hope that there
! win be any immediate relief from
present high prices Of shoes, unless
other materials other than leather
are used as soles. And 1t Is very IKE
! ly that the use Of such materials VIII
hardly be able to hold shoe prices
where they are today, much less &C
complish an appreciable reduction ID
price. -
So with a rapidly increasing popu.
lation against decreasing supply OF
leather for soles, shoe manufactur'
ers have been casting longing looks
IN every direction for some material
20 replace leather.
Fortunately other manufacturers
outside OF the leather industry, nae
noted even fbefore the war the exces-
sive demand for feathers, and espec
ially since that time, the heavy sDuy-
ing Of footwear by our allies tor tnen
soldiers. and had set out 70 evolve
substance which would relieve the
pressure.
So when the new synthetic sole'
Neolin. was discovered In the laDorar
tories Of The Goodyear Tire q huD-
Der Co., at Akron, Ohio, and an
nounced. American shoe manutactur
ers Immediately sensed relief ron a.
unenviable situation. and recognised
that this sole would span the gap
that had been created In the leatnei
world.
The new sole ID neither rubber nor
leather. nor q leather substitute out
4 new material designed especially
for use on footwear. In our language
there "a no term descriptive OF this
new substance, 90 II IL called Neolin,
which means new material" II oil
fers from leather IN that its texture
a finer and Us mass unit, and not
merely q mass Of loosely tntertTineo
fibres. In two years actual service OF
every conceivable character Il has In
yarinbIy outworn leather, and mas
proven much easier on the feet lts
success 90 far has, led over 400 Amer.
ican shoe manufacturers to contract
with the Goodyear Tire q Rubber
company FOR its use. replacing leatn
e. Eight million pairs Of shoes nave
already been put out and sold TO
American users.
But the mission Of this new sole e
not merely to replace leather tempo
rarIly-to fulfil the mission OF e
s'stop.Eap. II ID IN no sense . "spbsh-
futes for leather. for It 10 finer and
more flexible. yet firm and more
wear.resisting, and it Is not rubber
sole. One Of its strongest features is
mat II viii not slip on smooth, wet or
lev surfaces. II has many Of the good
Qualities or leather and none Of leath-
erss bad ones. There is very little
question that Neolin Is here TO stay,
no matter what the leather market Is
after the war, for Il has already been
adopted By the cream ct the shoe
manufacturers Of the country