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WORLD FOOTWEAR
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
effective technique of managing that energy in both sports
shoes and everyday footwear.
For an insole foam to contribute to the total comfort of
the wearer, both mechanical and sensory comfort features
need to be provided by the material. Slow recovery foams
allow for a combination of very low hardnesses, which
provide perceptive comfort to the wearer while, at the same
time, offering impact attenuation or shock absorption due to
the nature of the polymer. Rogers believes that its foams are
the only ones that combine this desirable combination of
slow recovery with good moisture management and
excellent mechanical comfort.
These foams are engineered to manage moisture from
the foot as much as provide cushioning for it. The secret is
once again the patented open cell structure which can be
formulated to offer varying combinations of performance
depending on the type of footwear involved. Typical cell
diameters are 100-150 microns and the gaps between them
only 20 microns (a micron is 1/1,000 of a millimeter). It is this
open cell structure that makes the material breathable as
well as improving compression-set resistance and long load
retention for longer lasting performance in wear. Each cell
acts like a tiny spring and, since it is an open cell, this spring
has a wide compression range that provides much of the high
shock absorption properties. The uniformity of cell structure
also provides consistent mechanical and moisture
transportation properties.
SPOILT FOR CHOICE
To accommodate the wide diversity of footwear types and
applications, there are now more than 14 different versions
of this versatile material in a huge range of colours and a
variety of thicknesses, densities and surface finishes
designed to meet the needs of just about any activity
involving footwear. Choosing the right combination could be
a daunting task. Fortunately, the company has a team of
experienced sales engineers on hand and, if they are unable
to find a regular product that meets a customer’s
requirements, one can be specially formulated.
Three key factors lie at the heart of the materials’ success.
First, no plasticisers are used in their formulation so they will
not shrink, become brittle or crack with age. Second, they
possess an extremely high level of impact absorption to
reduce impact on feet and joints. In side-by-side drop weight
tests, Poron materials have been shown to outperform vinyl
sponge, neoprene sponge, sponge rubber, latex foam and
solid viscoelastic. And, finally, they have that ability to
breathe so feet stay dry and cool by drawing water vapour
and perspiration away.
Warm and moist shoes provide an ideal breeding ground
for bacteria and the resultant mould and mildew that cause
foot odours. To combat this, Rogers infuses Microban
antimicrobial protection into the foam to provide effective
protection that lasts throughout its life. When microbes come
in contact with the surface of the material, the protection
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