Start Marketing Custom Printed Sliders Now
Start Marketing Custom Printed Sliders Now
Spring is upon us and the market for custom sliders in the UK has reopened. With drab and dreary weather on it's way out, businesses should begin marketing their summer seasonal products, such as sliders.
What are sliders?
Sliders (open-toe slip-on sandals) are commonly worn in several industries, mainly for comfort, convenience, or hygiene purposes. Here are some key industries where sliders are commonly used:
Hospitality & Spa Industry - Hotels, resorts, and spas provide sliders for guests to wear in rooms, pools, and wellness areas. Employees in spa settings may also wear sliders for hygiene and comfort.
Healthcare & Medical - Some healthcare workers, especially in hospitals and clinics, wear sliders in non-sterile areas for comfort and ease. Common in environments like physiotherapy centers and rehabilitation clinics.
Vetinary Animal Care - For similar reasons to the healthcare industry, sliders are favoured in these proffessions because of how easily washed and sterilised they are.
Sports & Fitness - Athletes, gym-goers, and coaches wear sliders before and after training, especially in locker rooms, pools, and showers. Common in swimming, soccer, basketball, and other sports.
Fashion & Retail - The fashion industry has embraced sliders as casual and trendy footwear, making them popular among models, stylists, and store employees in relaxed environments.
Beauty & Salon Industry - Nail salons and beauty parlors often provide sliders for customers after pedicures.
Construction & Outdoor Work - While not used on-site, workers may wear sliders when off-duty or inside temporary accommodations.
Travel & Tourism - Common among airline crew during layovers, and in beach resorts for tourists.
Favoured across all generations, sliders (otherwise known as sandals) are easy to slip on last minute when you need to go outside. Many opt to wear them as a fashion choice but mostly, sliders are worn for convenience.
Some of the largest markets to sell sliders into include Streetwear and Sports. Rugby, Football, Tennis, Dance, Swim and Gymnastics already buy custom athleisure and sportswear so why wouldn't they purchase custom printed sliders from you too?
So, how do you heat print sliders?
First up, you'll need blank sliders as well as a method of decoration
A year after their initial release, the JC092 sliders from AWDis Just Cool now come in 5 different colours: white, black, grey, navy and pink. Available in sizes 8 different sizes, they're an extremely popular blank for slider printing.
Secondly, your method of decoration is completely up to you. After extensive testing, despite the fact the printable band is made of polyester, it handles heat really well!
Choose from:
InkTra Screen Printed - Get a traditional screen printed feel but access to eye-catching metallics and neon inks.
UltraColour Heat Transfers - The lowest temperature heat transfer on the market. Economical when ordering large quantities.
UltraColour Max DTF Heat Transfers - Perfect for short trial runs or personalised products.
Next up, you need the right equipment to print them.
Because of how thick the sole of the slider is, placing it on the platen of your heat press is going to cause a couple of problems.
First of all, you risk melting sole of the shoe by printing it this way. Made of EVA injection, the melting point for this material is around 90 °C which is significantly lower than any heat applied decoration on the market.
Secondly, you'd need to lighten the pressure on your heat press to the furthest setting to allow for it to clamp down without breaking the press. If your heat press does not have pressure adjustment, this is a massive problem.
And finally, by placing your slider onto the platen, you will be completely unable to achieve accurate pressure because of the raised areas of the sole moulding to the underside of the printable band.
Equipment:
The solution to the above issues, is to isolate the printable strap on the sliders.
The Hotronix Interchangeable platen range is compatible with Hotronix Heat Presses and offers over 15 platens for your heat press.
The Can Cooler Platen is compatible with 40x50cm Hotronix heat presses and fits 8 sliders on for printing at once. This means you can print 4 pairs of sliders at one time which is a huge efficiency gain. By sliding the strap onto the platen, you can isolate it and create a completely flat print space. By creating a flat unobstructed print space, you're ensuring that your decoration applies reliably and you're providing your customer with a high-quality product.
