Toyo melds fashion, tread designs

Tire Business staff
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. photos
Toyo's take on the yukata — traditional kimono-style Japanese summer dress — uses tread patterns from the Nanoenergy 0, Proxes R1R and Open Country M/T tires for the cloth design.

OSAKA, Japan (Aug. 12, 2014) — At first glance, tire treads and high fashion would appear to be completely incongruous, but Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. likes to thinks otherwise.

The tire maker has incorporated some of the firm's more distinctive tread patterns into “yukata,” traditional kimono-style Japanese summer dress.

 “By transposing the originality of tires — normally thought of as a simple round, black object, into the feminine world of color dimensions apart — we have created another unique touch point distinctive of Toyo Tires,” the company said recently in presenting the designs.

Yukata based on Proxes R1R.

Toyo said it plans to use the cloth and yukuta at upcoming company events as part of its effort to “provide content and transmit information that shines a spotlight on our unique presence.”

The tread patterns used for the cloth tailored into yukata are from the Proxes R1R, Open Country M/T and Nanoenergy 0 tires, all of which are known for their distinct tread designs. Such designs — or the “face of the tire” so to speak — are realized through a sophisticated level of technical prowess that ensures the tire's functionality, Toyo said.

In producing these designs, a traditional Japanese dyeing technique was used to dye three types of original cloth that were tailored into cool, refreshing kimono designs.

“By combining the aesthetic quality of our tread designs, which supports the technical strength of our company's tire development, with the “Edo Yukata” dying techniques of traditional craftsmen, we achieved original content that can be utilized not just in Japan but globally as well,” Toyo said.

This is not the first time a tire company has sought to blend tread designs with fashion. Pirelli & C. S.p.A. commissioned gowns, furs and jewelry based on its distinctive P7 tread pattern in 1985 and 1987 for use in its iconic calendar.

Toyo describes the three tires on which the yukata designs are based thusly:  

  • Proxes R1R — a motorsports tire used widely in drifting, its unique arrowhead grooves deliver a high degree of control on wet surfaces.
  • Open Country M/T — sold primarily in North America for off-road enthusiasts, this mud-terrain tire's tread offers superior traction and durability over muddy and rocky terrain.
  • Nanoenergy 0 — an aftermarket consumer tire optimized for low rolling resistance, wet grip performance and reduced noise generation; it's being used increasingly on electric vehicles.

 

Related Articles
Toyo reports record sales, earnings
Letter
to the
Editor

Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

Most Popular
1
Pirelli won't bid for WRC tire supply contract
2
Canada court rules for Michelin in tire trademark case
3
Grupo Tersa's Valle becomes first Mexican to earn Humanitarian award
4
Atlantic Tire & Service founder Blackman dies at 69
5
TIA elects 6 new board members
SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS