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between the upper and lining. While water can penetrate
the upper, it cannot penetrate the membrane, so the lining
remains dry. Humidity from the inside the lining can
however still be transferred to the outside of the shoe. This
is a concept that many find hard to follow but is simply
explained by the difference in size between a raindrop and
moisture in the form of vapour.
OutDry is laminated to the inside of the upper before the
lining is sewn in. Whereas water can collect between the
upper and the bag on conventional membranes, it cannot
with the OutDry system. Matteo Morlacchi, General
Manager of Outdry Technologies says: “This has proved to
be easier to explain and we have created specific
educational tools where the technology is actually visible
including an upper before lasting compared to one with the
‘bag’ type construction. This has proved extremely effective
both at trade shows and point of sale in explaining the
features and advantages.”
Because OutDry is unlike other membrane systems, the
company has from the very start dedicated considerable
time and resources to the deployment of a defense
strategy to avoid the risk of competitors taking a similar
product to market. This has focused on filing industrial
patents and trademark registration. There are currently
over 100 national applications for patents related to
OutDry technologies, protecting devices, processes and
semi-manufactured and finished products. Where it has
obtained patents the company also makes sure they are
rigorously enforced.
HIGH-TECH SOLUTIONS
A truly unique product is ion-mask produced by P2i in
the UK. Based on nano-technology, it is radically different
from any other water resisting system in that it is a
protective coating covering the whole shoe rather than an
integral part of the construction. This is proving highly
attractive to brand manufacturers as it means that
provided certain criteria are followed in regard to seam
design, a shoe can be made in the normal manner. It is
then simply a matter on applying the coating to the finished
product in a special cabinet. All the extra work involved
with membranes is avoided.
The fact that ion-mask is such an advanced concept is
also appealing to consumers in a high-tech age. In addition,
it has a key advantage over membranes as far as the wearer
in concerned as its hydrophobic properties ensure less
water is retained in the upper material so that there is no
weight increase due to saturation. It similarly resists
penetration by dirt which helps guard against stains so that
shoes look newer for longer. The fact that it is solvent-free
and uses only microscopic quantities of protective
monomer, resulting in minimal waste and environmental
impact, means it also ticks the green box.
Not only is the product high-tech but the company’s
methods of promoting it to the public are too. All brands
using ion-mask either mark their shoes accordingly or apply
swing tags so that consumers are made fully aware of how
advanced the footwear is. To back this up, P2i makes
extensive use of websites, downloads and videos either by
itself or in conjunction with brand customers to tell the ion-
mask story. Social media channels such as Twitter,
Facebook and YouTube, are actively employed to reach out
to potential consumers and to discuss the product with
followers and brands.
Here we have five very different branded components or
ingredients but, in many ways they share certain
similarities. They began life as a result of technological
breakthroughs and were firsts in their field. This gave them
a major advantage over those who came later as they set
the standard. The downside is that ever since, they have
had to fight to stay ahead by keeping both manufacturing
and customers on side. This requires considerable
investment in advertising, communications and promotion.
They have also had to defend themselves against hungry
and sometimes unscrupulous competition involving theft of
intellectual property.
It is also clear that, as in so many other fields, it is the
brand itself that has become the essential driving force.
The creation of a distinctive logo or other means of
identification and establishing it and maintaining it in
customers’ minds is therefore important. If the brand
remains strong, so will the product. How you convey this to
customers and consumers is however up to you as it will
vary from component to component and your own
business philosophy.
It has been said that in today’s market it is highly unlikely
that anyone could make the same impact now with a
footwear component as the long-established brands we
have looked at here. While that is probably broadly true,
there will always be exceptions—the ion-mask system may
be one but only time will tell.
25
PROTECTING YOUR NAME
MAY/JUNE 2012 | www.footwearbiz.com
OutDry promotional tools show how it differs from other
membrane systems.