Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber (the Cork Oak), which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa. Cork is composed of suberin, a hydrophobic substance, and because of its impermeability, buoyancy, elasticity and fire retardant, it is used in a variety of products, the most common of which is for wine stoppers. The montado landscape of Portugal produces approximately 50% of cork harvested annually worldwide, with Corticeira Amorim being the leading company in the industry. Cork was examined microscopically by Robert Hooke, which led to his discovery and naming of the cell.

Cork is used in musical instruments, particularly woodwind instruments, where it is used to fasten together segments of the instrument, making the seams airtight. Conducting baton handles are also often made out of cork.

It is also used in shoes, especially those using Goodyear Welt Construction.

Cork can be used to make bricks for the outer walls of houses, as in Portugal's pavilion at Expo 2000.

On November 28, 2007, the Portuguese national postal service CTT issued the world's first postage stamp made of cork.

Cork is used as the core of both baseballs and cricket balls. A corked bat is made by replacing the interior of a baseball bat with cork—a practice known as "corking". It was historically a method of cheating at baseball; the efficacy of the practice is now discredited.

Cork is often used, in various forms, in spacecraft heat shields and fairings.

Cork can be used in the paper pick-up mechanisms in inkjet and laser printers.

Cork is also used inside footwear to improve climate control and comfort.

Corks are also hung from hats to keep insects away. See cork hat.

Cork has been used as a core material in sandwich composite construction.

Cork can be used as the friction lining material of an automatic transmission clutch, as designed in certain mopeds.

Cork can be used instead of wood or aluminium in automotive interiors.

Cork can also be used to make watch bands and faces as seen with Sprout Watches.

KUN HUANG developed the POLIYOU^® foam material independently. ThePOLIYOU^® foam material provides special properties, such as superior ventilation, well dampness absorption, and anti-bacteria & anti-fungus. It has not only obtained cross-countries patents, but also adopted by many famous global brands, including NIKE, ECCO, NEW BALANCE, PUMA, Reebok, Hotter, Florsheim, Dr. Martem, Clarks, Walmart, etc. On the strength of KUN HUANG's sales network across Europe, Asia, and America, the sales of POLIYOU^® insoles achieved tens of millions each year and earned a lot of foreign exchange for Taiwan as well. KUN HUANG, an insole corporation located at the Tunglo Industrial Park in Miaoli County, was introduced ISO-9002 international authentication to guarantee the quality, was accredited the international quality certificate by KEMA from Netherlands on February 23, 1999 and also accredited the ISO-9001 DNV by the International Organization for Standardization in 2001. The rigid internal management system, intelligent employee training programs, and agile improvement for quality management are the keystones for KUN HUANG Corp. 

The production technology of POLIYOU^® was also registered the worldwide patents more than 30 countries. After decades of export trade, KUN HUANG plans to introduce the POLIYOU^® insoles to the domestic market. The CEO of KUN HUANG wishes that all the domestic consumers would know “A pair of good shoes should have a pair of good insoles. Consumers should have the ability to choose shoes.” It infers “Having a pair of shoes with a pair of insoles which could keep shoes odor free is so called good shoes.”

POLIYOU^® shoe materials and insoles propounded the innovation of smell-less shoes.POLIYOU^® reversed the traditional notion that the odor smell is produced by the feet and consumers themselves. Through over 20 years of efforts, KUN HUANG obtained the breakthrough on the technology of POLIYOU^® insoles. The ISO-9001 also symbolizes the grand quality guarantee for consumers' health and comforts. KUN HUANG hopes that every consumer in the world would like to use POLIYOU^® insoles.

The final goal of KUN HUANG is to achieve the company's sustainable management and pursuing smell-free shoes.

Synthetic latex is a man-made molecular copy of natural latex. The scientific name for this compound is Styrene-Butadiene (SBR).

Styrene is named for “styrax”, the resin from a Turkish tree. Low levels of styrene occur naturally in many kinds of plants as well as a variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables & nuts.

Butadiene is produced by dehydration of butane obtained from petroleum. Butadiene is also used in the manufacture of latex paints and nylon fibers used in rope and clothing.

Synthetic Latex is extremely uniform at the molecular level, so sleep products will have greater durability than those made solely with Natural Latex. However, what you gain in durability you lose in feel and sleep benefits as compared to Natural Latex.

OrthoLite’s advanced proprietary polyurethane formula with recycled rubber content delivers a combination of benefits unmatched by any other insole manufacturer.

Long-Term Cushioning

Unlike traditional insoles, the compression set of OrthoLite insoles is less than 5% over time so the cushioning and fit never change inside the shoe, providing maximum comfort every time you put your shoes on.

High-Level Breathability

OrthoLite’s open-cell PU foam is 95% to 100% breathable, allowing air to circulate in and around the insole, keeping the foot cooler inside the shoe.

Moisture Management

The unique open-cell structure of OrthoLite insoles creates a moisture management system, helping to move moisture away from the foot to provide a cooler, drier, healthier shoe environment.

Antimicrobial Function

A patented salt-based antimicrobial is added to all OrthoLite foams to fight against the presence of fungus, bacteria and odor. The antimicrobial inhibits the buildup of the bacterial fungi associated with the cause of odor.

Washable

OrthoLite insoles are machine washable, coming out like new every time while maintaining all of their performance benefits after washing.

 Lightweight

OrthoLite insoles are lightweight, enhancing the performance of the shoes with airy comfort.

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. 

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)

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/

(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).

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).

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.