Lycra is a registered brand name for a polyurethane-based synthetic fiber that's also called spandex or elastane. The DuPont Company first developed Lycra in 1958 to replace latex rubber as a stretching agent in clothes. It's also prized for its strength and durability. Though you may think of shiny leotards and biking shorts when you think of Lycra, the elastic fabric is present in many garments.

Lycra can be mixed with cotton, and very well to be applied for clothes and shoes, as its outstanding performance such as fast dry, comfortable…

It is soft and can be stretched, although it is expensive, people like using it to make better products.

Net mesh is kind of common fabric, most of the sports shoes would like to be made of this kind of material, with some special points:

very cheap, comparing with other fabric, net mesh is very cheap;

mature technology means customer can find enough options on market;

breathable design

can be applied with several craft.

TPU is a block copolymer consisting of alternating sequences of hard and soft segments or domains formed by the reaction of (1) diisocyanates with short-chain diols (so-called chain extenders) and (2) diisocyanates with long-chain diols. By varying the ratio, structure and/or molecular weight of the reaction compounds, an enormous variety of different TPU can be produced. This allows urethane chemists to fine-tune the polymer's structure to the desired final properties of the material.

Properties of commercially available TPU include:

• high abrasion resistance
• low-temperature performance
• high shear strength
• high elasticity
• transparency
• oil and grease resistance
  The currently available TPUs can be divided mainly in two groups, based on soft segment chemistry:
• polyester-based TPUs (mainly derived from adipic acid esters)
• polyether-based TPUs (mainly based on tetrahydrofuran (THF) ethers).

(1) Foamed shoe materials Shoe materials are the most important application field of EVA resin in my country. In the EVA resin used in shoe materials, the vinyl acetate content is generally 15% to 22%. Because EVA resin blended foam products have properties such as softness, good elasticity, and resistance to chemical corrosion, they are widely used in soles and interior materials of mid-to-high-end travel shoes, hiking shoes, slippers, and sandals. In addition, this material is used in acoustic panels, gymnastics mats and sealing materials. Shunde and Zhongshan in Guangdong, Jinjiang and Quanzhou in Fujian and Wenzhou in Zhejiang are the main production bases of my country's shoe industry, and consume a large amount of EVA resin products every year. In 1999, my country's foam shoe materials and shock absorption fields consumed a total of approximately 150 kt of EVA resin.
(2) Film The main use of EVA film is to produce functional shed films. Functional shed film has high weather resistance, anti-fog and thermal insulation properties. Since polyethylene is not polar, even if a certain amount of anti-fog agent is added, its anti-fog performance can only last for about 2 months; while The shed film made by adding a certain amount of EVA resin not only has higher light transmittance, but also has greatly improved anti-fog performance, which can generally last more than 4 months. In addition, EVA can also be used to produce packaging films, medical films, laminated films, cast films, etc. In 1999, there were more than 50 companies using EVA resin to process films in my country. In 1999, my country produced a total of 800 kt of shed films, of which 220 kt were functional shed films and consumed about 30 kt of EVA resin. Including packaging films, medical films and other fields, my country consumed a total of 37 kt of EVA resin in the film field.
(3) Wires and cables With the continuous development of computers and network engineering, people are increasingly using halogen-free flame retardant cables and silane cross-linked cables out of consideration for the safety of computer rooms. Because EVA resin has good filler tolerance and cross-linkability, it is often used in halogen-free flame retardant cables, semiconductor shielded cables and two-step silane cross-linked cables. In addition, EVA resin is also used to make the sheaths of some special cables. The vinyl acetate content of EVA resin used in wires and cables is generally 12% to 24%. In 1999, the wire and cable industry consumed a total of approximately 6,000 tons of EVA.
(4) Toys EVA resin is also widely used in toys, such as baby wheels, seat cushions, etc. In recent years, China's toy processing industry has developed rapidly. Most of the production is concentrated in Dongguan, Shenzhen, Shantou and other coastal places. It is mainly exported and processed externally. Among them, the Xiaomou Dou sound mat has developed the mat to a new height. . According to analysis, these manufacturers consume about 5,000 tons of EVA resin every year, and the brands used are basically the same as the materials used in shoe materials.
(5) Hot melt adhesive. Hot melt adhesive with EVA resin as the main component does not contain solvents, does not pollute the environment and is highly safe. It is very suitable for automated assembly line production. Therefore, it is widely used in wireless book binding and furniture sealing. edging, assembly of automobiles and household appliances, shoemaking, carpet coating and anti-corrosion coating of metals. Hot melt adhesives mainly use varieties with a vinyl acetate content of 25% to 40%. Although there are products of this brand in China, they have not been produced for a long time, so they are all occupied by imported materials. In 1999, my country's hot melt adhesive field consumed an estimated 17 kt of EVA resin.
(6) Other EVA resins are also widely used in fields such as inks, bags, wine bottle caps, etc. It is estimated that the consumption of EVA resin in these areas is not less than 15 kt.

The characteristics of PEVA are:
1. Biodegradable: It will not cause harm to the environment when discarded or burned.
2. Similar price to PVC: EVA is more expensive than toxic PVC, but cheaper than PVC that does not contain phthalates.
3. Lighter weight: The density of EVA ranges from 0.91 to 0.93, while PVC is 1.32.
4. No odor: EVA does not contain ammonia or other organic odors.
5. Does not contain heavy metals: complies with relevant international toy regulations (EN-71 Part 3 and ASTM-F963).
6. Phthalate-free: suitable for children's toys and will not cause the risk of plasticizer release.
7. High transparency, softness and toughness: the application range is very broad.
8. Super low temperature resistance (-70C): suitable for freezing environments.
9. Resistant to water, salt and other substances: can be used in large quantities
10. High thermal adhesion: can be firmly attached to nylon, polyester, canvas and other cloths.
11. Low laminating temperature: can speed up production. Stay calm.
12. Can be screen printed and offset printed: can be used for more fancy products (but EVA ink must be used).

D3O^® unique patented and proprietary technologies provide both enhanced protection, versatile and flexible materials for a host of shock absorption and impact protection applications.

This kind of new tech material not only can be applied in wearing protection, but also become popular in industry. 

D3O^® materials are categorised into five groups:

• Impact Additives (iA)
• Set Foams (SF)
• Formable Foams (FF)
• Set Elastomers (SE)
• Formable Elastomers (FE)

Check more information on the official website here

https://www.d3o.com/what-is-d3o/materials/

This kind of material are often been seen on diabetic shoe inserts.

A wide range of polymer combinations is available to give increased stiffness, improved temperature resistance and improved mouldability. Plastazote® foams are engineered to offer superior performance and lighter weight. The absence of any chemical agents in the foam and a consistency of cell structure and density allows Zotefoams to offer the world’s lightest cross-linked foams.

Plastazote^® foams are available in:

• a range of densities from 15kg/m3 to 115kg/m3
• a variety of attractive colours
• Metallocene grades for easier thermo-compression behaviour
• special grades with increased flame-retarding properties, and/or conductive or static-dissipative characteristics

Plastazote^® foams are used in a variety of industries including:

• packaging
• automotive (thermoformed parts)
• aerospace
• electronics
• healthcare thanks to their inert qualities
• construction
• sport (protective padding)
• marine where buoyancy is crucial
• industrial (seals and gaskets)

It is a patented foam, developed and patent belongs to RogersCorp, here is the official website for you if you want to know more details:

https://www.rogerscorp.com

Poron materials are more popular in electric industry, as it is soft and shock absorbent, can protect the electric devices safely without increasing too much space one package, and also it is very light.  

Some kind of materials are made in USA factory and some are made in Suzhou, China. Poron is used in shoe industry because its permanent elastic and outstanding shock absorbent properties. Beyond that, Poron is also very breathable materials. Should be noted that Poron is very expensive. 

As more and more company and customer develop new projects with patent protection or wish to get the project secrectly, therefore we would like have sign NDA file with our customers to promise their excellent projects are not revealed to any one. 

Measuring arch height is a way to characterize foot shape and foot structure; it is also a means to compare these characteristics between a sitting and a standing position. To measure arch height the patient first sits in a chair and places their feet on the ground. Two boards are placed under the heel and the metatarsal heads to allow for maximum collapse of the arch.

Pressure on foot are different when different status of the foot activities, we will tell you how much pressure on foot when standing /  walking / running / jumping.