The ASEAN manufacturing sector posted its strongest improvement in over a year in September, as the S&P Global ASEAN Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 51.6 from 51 in August. The reading marked the highest expansion since July 2024 and confirmed a modest but broad-based upturn in regional factory activity.

Output and new orders expanded solidly, with demand recording its joint-fastest growth in nearly two-and-a-half years. Purchasing activity also increased at the strongest pace in 13 months. Firms reported renewed hiring for the first time in seven months, though overall job creation remained marginal. Backlogs of work accumulated at the quickest rate in a year, pointing to rising pressure on capacity, S&P Global said in a press release.

Inventories showed mixed trends, with pre-production holdings broadly unchanged, while post-production stocks fell as companies tapped into inventories to meet demand. Input costs rose further, though inflationary pressures stayed historically moderate.

The ASEAN manufacturing sector strengthened in September, with the PMI rising to 51.6 from 51.0 in August, its highest since July 2024, according to S&P Global.
Output and new orders grew solidly, while purchasing activity hit a 13-month high.
Firms resumed hiring after seven months, though modestly, as backlogs surged.
Inventories showed mixed trends and business confidence reached a six-month peak.

Business confidence improved to a six-month high, as manufacturers cited stronger demand conditions and optimism for output growth over the coming year.

“The ASEAN goods-producing sector concluded the third quarter of the year on a strong note, underscored by solid expansions in new orders and output. Additionally, purchasing activity increased, and employment rose for the first time in seven months,” said Maryam Baluch, economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence. “Furthermore, the fresh accumulation of backlogs, coupled with the ongoing reduction of post-production inventories, suggests that manufacturers should have opportunities to further expand their workforce.”

“Although recent data indicates a slight increase in price pressures against a backdrop of easing monetary policy across much of the region and a strengthening demand climate, the rates remain historically muted. This suggests that these pressures are manageable and unlikely to adversely affect demand,” added Baluch.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)

Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman’s hand-built Moon Shoe is now the subject of reinterpretation for the first time, taking on new life through a collaboration between Nike and French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, who has reimagined the iconic silhouette for a new generation.

Sleek and fashion-forward, the new sneaker bridges performance heritage and style with speed and sophistication, capturing the same relentless drive that defined its earliest incarnation: a racing shoe named for the crater-like imprint it left with every step during testing for the 1972 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials.

Nike and Jacquemus have reinterpreted Bill Bowerman’s legendary Moon Shoe for the first time, blending its 1972 Olympic racing heritage with modern Parisian design.
Featuring a ruched nylon upper, Nike Grind outsole, leather Swoosh and co-branded details, the sneaker channels both sport DNA and fashion aesthetics.
The new Moon Shoe releases in three colourways—Alabaster, Off Noir, and University Red.

The restyled Moon Shoe captures the look and feel of the original icon — Nike’s first to incorporate its famed waffle sole innovation — while adding modern touches that elevate the silhouette and stay true to the brand’s running DNA.

Today’s Moon Shoe features a ruched nylon upper and Nike Grind outsole that blend the silhouette’s racing origins with a modern ballet aesthetic to create a contemporary, low-to-the-ground torpedo shoe that reflects both the simplicity of Jacquemus’ Parisian design philosophy and the dynamism of Nike’s sport heritage.

“Three years ago, when I visited the Nike archives, I first came across the historic Moon Shoe,” says Simon Porte Jacquemus. “I saw a unique, minimal running shoe that was both timeless and modern in its simplicity and execution. I knew it was an opportunity to create a new story and reshape it in the Jacquemus way.”

The silhouette features a leather Swoosh and heel counter, and Jacquemus logos adorn the tongue, heel and sock liner. In a nod to the model’s history, the shoe comes in exclusive co-branded packaging that harks back to Nike’s earliest heritage as Blue Ribbon Sports.

The original Moon Shoe was born from Bowerman’s search for a lightweight traction solution that could give track athletes better grip without weighing them down. He was struck one morning by the grid pattern of his wife’s waffle iron, with its raised squares resembling the exact geometry he’d been chasing, and he poured liquid rubber into the small kitchen appliance to create a new kind of sneaker sole, resulting in an early prototype of what would become the Moon Shoe.

While a small batch of early models debuted at the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials, the Moon Shoe never went to market. Its DNA was quickly adapted, however, into the 1973 Oregon Waffle and 1975 Waffle Trainer, the latter of which became Nike’s first blockbuster success, giving athletes improved grip and redefining expectations of running shoe performance.

Today’s Moon Shoe is the fourth footwear collaboration between Nike, Jacquemus and his eponymous fashion brand, following the Nike x Jacquemus Air Max 1, J Force 1 and Air Humara. Most recently, the partners joined forces to create an unmissable expression of sport and style through a summer 2024 collection and campaign featuring the city of Paris and Nike’s portfolio of athletes as the ultimate muses.

The contemporary Moon Shoe, which first debuted during Jacquemus’ spring 2025 runway show in Paris, takes on three distinct styles for its commercial release, including the Jacquemus-exclusive Alabaster colorway alongside Off Noir and University Red looks.

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)