TPU has great potential in shoe materials

TPU is synthesized from isocyanate and polyol. Isocyanates give the TPU material strength, and polyols give the TPU material flexibility. With different raw material formulas, the hardness of TPU can be adjusted, and TPU has excellent wear resistance, which is very suitable for shoemaking.

Outsole: The outermost layer of sole that touches the ground is called the outsole. The most important requirement of the outsole is non-slip and wear-resistant. Traditional shoe outsoles are made of rubber or EVA. Due to the wear resistance of TPU, it gradually occupies a place in the shoe outsole.

In addition to the TPU material used for the entire shoe outsole, some wedge shoes use TPU for the heel part, and a layer of TPU is pasted on the outermost layer of the heel, which is called sky skin. Because the heel part bears the most force and rubs frequently, the sky skin can well protect the main part of the heel.

Air cushion: Sports shoes pursue high resilience and high shock absorption effect. The air cushion is located between the upper part of the sole and the lower part of the sole. It is a hollow air storage chamber that can store and press out air. Air-cushioned shoes with air cushions are very light to wear and can slow down sports-related injuries. Air-cushioned shoes were first invented by Nike, and today, there are various types of air-cushioned shoes. From the material point of view, the most commonly used are PU, PVC and TPU. The mechanical strength and hardness of TPU can be flexibly adjusted to meet the requirements of the air cushion. In addition, TPU can be made very transparent, increasing the aesthetics of the air cushion and shoes.

Upper: Usually the upper material is multi-layer composite. The composite bonding between layers is widely used TPU hot melt adhesive film. The hot melt adhesive film is a very thin layer of TPU film, which is sandwiched between two layers of fabrics, heated by a hot laminating machine, and the TPU is melted and then solidified to firmly bond the fabrics together. TPU hot-melt adhesive is easy to operate and easy to construct for shoe uppers, which greatly improves the production efficiency of shoes; and compared with traditional solvent-based adhesives, TPU hot-melt adhesive is 100% solid and has no VOC emissions, no matter the production of shoes The process or the wearing process will not cause harm to the human body or the environment.

Shoe trims: bright decorative sheets on shoes, made of PVC, TPU and other materials. TPU can be transparent, and it is easy to be colored with various colors. It can easily produce colorful and bright shoe decoration materials.

Shoelaces: The shoelaces not only fasten the shoes, but also have the function of decorative adjustment. TPU shoelaces are lightweight, waterproof, dirt-resistant, and easy to clean. More importantly, TPU has a certain degree of elasticity. You only need to adjust the TPU shoelaces to a comfortable tightness and tie them once. You don’t need to untie and re-tie your shoes when you take off your shoes or put them on. Save time and hassle.