News - Looking for a new sustainable footwear material with outstanding wet anti-slip property and comfort? Discover how Si-PTV provides durable and creditable solution.

Looking for a new sustainable footwear material with outstanding wet anti-slip property and comfort? Discover how Si-PTV provides durable and creditable solution.

The fundamental structure of footwear consists of three core elements: the upper, midsole, and outsole. TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane elastomer) has become extensively utilized in midsole applications owing to its outstanding elastic recovery properties and versatile manufacture ability.

With increasingly stringent environmental regulations worldwide, the footwear industry's strategic priority is advancing recyclable materials capable of preserving essential sole properties—including wear resistance, slip prevention, and energy return. TPU's inherent recyclability as a thermoplastic elastomer positions it as a prime candidate for circular manufacturing. This has catalyzed practical adoption of full-TPU and hybrid TPE footwear systems.

What are the Challenges for TPU in Shoe Outsoles

While TPU demonstrates significant advantages in shoe applications, replacing traditional rubber soles with TPU,especially for outsoles, this introduces new performance demands and brings new challenge on the material.

Outsoles experience direct ground contact in persistently moist and wet environments, necessitating superior wet slip resistance for user safety. Although TPU demonstrates excellent abrasion resistance and reliable dry traction, its compromised hydrodynamic drainage capability on wet surfaces fails to meet stringent operational and commercial performance benchmarks. This critical deficiency in wet-weather grip constitutes a major technological barrier preventing TPU from supplanting traditional rubber compounds in high-performance outsole manufacturing applications.

As the outermost layer of footwear directly contacting the ground, shoe outsoles must provide slip resistance, durability, and corrosion protection.However, as a thermoset material, rubber cannot be recycled or reused. Additionally, the midsole and outsole require separate molding processes followed by adhesive bonding. This not only increases manufacturing costs but also introduces bonding failure risks that compromise structural integrity and end-product quality.

Anti-slip TPU Outsole Application: Enhancing Wet Slip Resistance

SILIKE- Si-TPV—a Vulcanizate Thermoplastic Silicone-Based Elastomer — this material combines anti-slip properties with a non-tacky surface texture to ensure reliable traction even in wet conditions. Its engineered polymer matrix preserves flexibility and comfort during dynamic movements while delivering performance enhancements.

As a new thermoplastic silicone elastomer, delivers a synergistic performance profile: It exhibits thermoplastic elastomer characteristics,including high strength, impact toughness, wear resistance, while mimicking silicone's functional benefits such as soft-touch feel, UV degradation resistance, and chemical inertness. Unlike thermoset rubbers, this advanced material,as a sustainable elastomer, enables closed-loop recyclability within standard injection molding or extrusion systems.

The unique material provides durable wear resistance alongside anatomical conformity, making it exceptionally suited for high-performance athletic footwear and precision sport equipment requiring uncompromised motion control under.

New Trend, News Possibility!

In April 2019, Adidas released the FUTURECRAFT.LOOP sports running shoes, which only use TPU as the material. The upper, midsole and outsole are all made of TPU material, and the whole shoe is fully recyclable. This material can be crushed and granulated after recycled, and it can be used to produce news products, which solves the problem of plastic waste and comply low-carbon sustainability strategy policy. In addition, TPU, as a transparent material, offers great flexibility in both color matching and injection molding shapes. Given its versatility, TPU adoption in whole-shoe manufacturing is likely to become a future direction.

Contact Amy Wang at amy.wang@silike.cn or visit www.si-tpv.com to learn more about outsole materials，explore how Si-TPV helps create a more durable,comfortable, and safe alternative solution for high-performance athletic footwear and equipment.