A few decades ago, the footwear industry was looking for an alternative to traditional sole materials in order to create a more robust, stylish, and long-lasting sole. When the sole manufacturers caused a disruption with an intriguing and innovative material – Polyurethane – the quest gained new hope (PU).
For several years, PU sole manufacturers have endorsed and supplied this fantastic sole material to create a wide range of footwear. The primary reason for its popularity is that the PU sole benefits both footwear manufacturers and end users to a large extent due to its amazing properties.
How a PU is sole made?
Polyurethane has been widely used as a shoe sole material to create robust and long-lasting high-quality shoes for applications requiring rough use, such as trekking, sports, labor-intensive industries, and so on.
However, PU insole manufacturers have enabled them to be used as a sole material for casual and office footwear such as formal shoes, sport shoes, safety shoes, sandals, sneakers, slippers, and so on.
Furthermore, the constant efforts of PU sole manufacturers, as well as the ongoing demand for this material by the footwear industry, have now made polyurethane quite affordable. The PU sole’s low cost allows it to be used in more types of footwear than its conventional counterparts.
How is the polyurethane formed?
In the presence of heat and an organometallic catalyst, an isocyanate prepolymer, such as methylene diphenyl isocyanate, and a polyol component are combined to form polyurethane.
The polyurethane is formed as a result of the reaction can then be shaped into the desired sole designs via injection molding or pouring. Because the former has more advantages, it is usually the most advantageous method for producing PU soles.
For those who are new to the page, here are the advantages of using PU insole for them-
Lightweight: No one wants to drag heavy feet around; thus, an airy material like polyurethane is frequently used as the sole for lightweight footwear.
Chemical and water resistance: Polyurethane is well-known for its inert, robust, and long-lasting properties. As a result, footwear manufacturers consider PU soles to be advantageous enough to use as a shoe sole material in high-quality safety shoes for a variety of industries.
Strong Grip: These soles have excellent grip on even the slickest surfaces, making them appealing enough to be used in almost any type of footwear. Polyurethane provides both comfort and durability in all types of footwear due to its well-finished surface and leather-like elasticity.
Shock Absorption: For applications where the consumer must stand or walk for an extended period of time, the footwear should have good shock absorption properties. As a result, polyurethane is a perfect fit to be used as the sole material for such a purpose.
Few Lines from the experts’ desks-
The density and hardness of polyurethane can be altered by varying various factors such as the types of key or additive components and their contents, resulting in a material with diverse properties.
To ensure that the PU sole benefits footwear manufacturers by being used in a wide range of footwear, PU sole manufacturers have primarily developed two versions of the polyurethane.
Tip: Always buy from a reliable and certified pu insole manufacturer and stay relaxed that you are wearing a quality sole for your feet.Â
