D3O launches new range of footwear cushioning PU materials

D3O is an impact protection solutions company that sells and licenses a range of smart materials. The company has engineered a range of new PU materials to bring rate-sensitivity and enhanced cushioning performance to the footwear marketplace and now offers a responsive solution that absorbs shock, improves energy return, reduces injury and provides long-term comfort. According to the company, improved impact protection in footwear such as the midsoles has been linked to a reduction in lower limb injuries and D3O’s new heel-to-toe shock absorption range helps to reduce the impact trauma that commonly causes knee and hip injuries.

Toby Glyn, Footwear Business Development Manager, said: “As the market leaders in lightweight protection, we have responded to increased customer demand for a low density, durable, shock absorbing material suitable for footwear. We recognise that the requirements for athletic footwear differ to those of the military or industrial markets and in turn have tuned our technology to offer solutions across this spectrum.”

D3O markets a patented technology used to manufacture high performance, lightweight, soft and flexible polyurethane materials with high shock absorbing properties. The raw material is strain rate sensitive. In standard conditions its molecules flow freely, allowing the PU material to be soft and flexible, but on impact, lock together to dissipate the impact energy and reduce the transmitted force. According to D3O, this technology is used to produce shock absorbing materials which can be found in a range of products across the motorcycle, sport, footwear, electronics, military and workwear sectors.

Phil Sheriff, D3O Material Development Manager, said: “We have partnered with selected brands as we have started our development process and feedback from wearer trials has been extremely positive. We have been able to bring our expertise in polymer engineering and enhanced chemistry to the footwear industry and developed a superior cushioning offering compared to materials currently found in the marketplace.”

The new D3O footwear range offers highly durable, efficient and effective solutions which perform across a wide range of impact energies. Designed to provide comfort, shock absorption, and injury reduction, the range offers solutions suitable for running, hiking, trail running, racquet sports as well as military and industrial markets and is compatible with a wide range of underfoot applications including inserts, insoles, mid-soles, strobel boards.

The company D3O was born out of the 2006 Winter Olympics, where they provided protective solutions to the US and Canadian ski teams. D3O impact protection solutions have been integrated into thousands of products worldwide and are used in five core markets including sports, electronics, PPE, motorcycle, and footwear.