The Comfort of Lightness and Softness Now at Your Feet

The Comfort of Lightness and Softness Has Arrived at Your Feet! The global footwear market is expected to grow by 45% between 2020 and 2027[1]. The superior properties of polyurethane and growth in shoe sole sales are driving the polyurethane market. With market growth, product diversity increases and expectations continue to shift towards lower-density sole production. The primary reasons for this are: cost advantage for slipper/sole manufacturers, end-user comfort, and the need to reduce the amount of plastic waste released to the environment. Products with mold density in the 22-25DN range are available and operate without issues in the sector. However, these soles, which are produced at high hardness values to maintain their dimensional stability, do not provide sufficient comfort. Developing formulations for lower-density soles without compromising comfort-providing properties such as softness and flexibility has led to new research in polyurethane chemistry. As Flokser Kimya, products with the soft and lightweight properties that have become a necessity for the sector have been presented to the market as 2 systems in different hardness values. The working conditions and physical properties of our slipper products, which have densities between 20-23DN (200-230kg/m3), possess soft and flexible characteristics, and reach inner sole densities, are presented in Table 1. Compared to standard low-density products in the market, the new products we have developed with low hardness values in the 40-48 ShoreA range will enable softness and comfort properties that cannot be achieved from lightweight products. Additionally, these products will offer manufacturers approximately 25% lower polyurethane consumption advantage. In addition to lightness and comfort, with decreasing polyurethane consumption, manufacturers gain cost advantage while simultaneously contributing to the reduction of polymer waste released to the environment. Within the scope of our sustainability principles, we will continue to develop new products with the importance we place on efforts to develop environmentally friendly technologies. Into the future with the new systems that Flokser Kimya will develop beyond expectations! Source Tibet Hüten - Product Development Researcher Flokser Kimya Kerim Can Ünlü - Product Development Manager Flokser Kimya Kübra Sarper - Product Development Specialist Flokser Kimya Dr. Serpil Yılmaztürk Güney - Product Development Director Flokser Kimya