Outsole Tooling

The outsole tooling for athletic shoe is the most complicated and most expensive piece of equipment required for production.  The outsole tooling for footwear comes in many different styles and configurations.  Shoe outsoles are made from many different types of rubber, plastic, foam, leather or fabric each requiring it’s own tooling requirements and manufacturing technology.

We are going to talk about the design requirements and tooling for the rubber, plastic and foam outsoles found in the modern athletic sports and casual shoes.   The outsole design you select for your shoe design is critical to it’s comfort, performance and price.   You will need to know about the equipment requirements and unit price for each type of outsole design.

It’s critical that you understand the Tooling and manufacturing requirements for each outsole type.  If you are designing for Nike go ahead and design a complicated outsole with blow molded air bags, plastic injections etc…. The sky is the limit. $20,000 per size is no problem.  If the production is a million pairs $150,000  for the tooling is no problem.  However if you are start up strapped for cash,  a cup sole unit is $1400 per size is more realistic.

Of course performance matters.  You would never use Rubber cupsole for a running shoe or likewise a combat boot with the huge air bag is also a bad idea.

Basic Outsole Types:   Rubber Cupsole,  Cut and Buff EVA wedge sole, Combination Cut and Buff/Cupsole,  Two piece EVA rubber sole, Vulcanized Rubber sole,  Lightweight EVA Outsole, EVA Sole unit, Injection Molded EVA, Injection Molded plastic Sole unit, Blow Molded Air Bag Sole Unit.

Outsole Types

Air Bag Midsole

The air bag midsole is made by the blow molding process.  The midsole starts out as hot semi-liquid plastic extrusion tube (called a parison).  A steel mold clamps around the tube and the air is injected inside to fill the bag and inflates the shape to fill the mold.  The tooling and machines are very expensize. The plastic can be tinted and the bag top and bottom surfaces can be painted.  In this case the air bag is attached to an EVA tray that is then bonded to the shoe outsole by cold cement process.  The type of sole unit is great for running and cross training.  The air bag does look cool but due to the blow molding process the plastic walls of the bag can be a little thick.  This sole unit requires an EVA Compression mold, Rubber compression mold and blow molds.
TOOLING:$$$$    UNITPRICE:$$$$

Compression Molded EVA or CMEVA

The standard two part sole is made with light weight  CM EVA midsole, bonded to a rubber outsole.   The EVA foam is expanded into blocks then cut down to fit into a mold.  The mold is heated causing the EVA to re-expand and fill the compression mold.  The density and durometer is set by how much foam is compressed into the mold and the formula of the foam.   More foam is harder and gives the sole design more definition.  Midsole is bonded to the rubber in the stock fitting room before the unit meets the upper in assembly.  This sole unit requires an EVA compression mold and a rubber compression mold.
TOOLING:$$   UNIT PRICE:$$

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Injected Midsole

Many firms have been experimenting with foamless injection molded midsoles.  The shoe has a stiff moderating plate under the heel to keep the shoe stable. The Midsole structure is likely made of Nylon or TPU plastic.  The rubber tread is attached by stock fitting.  This sole unit requires an EVA Compression mold for the midsole hidden inside, Rubber compression mold for the tread and Injection molds for the midsole component.
TOOLING:$$$$    UNITPRICE:$$$$

Injection EVA Midsole

This running shoe uses an injection molded EVA midsole with rubber inserts.  The Injected midsole has a thicker, smoother skin than compression molded EVA midsole.  The Injected EVA midsole has a more uniform density and better detail definition than the compression molded EVA.  This unit is very light, very flexible but will wear quickly.  The Injection molded tooling has a high production rate but the molds are over $3,000 per sizes and requires an expensive machine.  The compression EVA tooling is half the price and can be made in the most basic pressing room. This sole unit requires an EVA injection mold and rubber compression mold.
TOOLING:$$$   UNIT PRICE:$$

The EVA Wedge

This classic Die Cut EVA  wedge midsole is bonded to a compression molded rubber bottom.  The top wedge shape of the EVA is cut by pressing the EVA with a profile roller while a blade splits off the bottom layers.  The white layer is buffed and bonded to the rubber bottom.  All three parts are them buffed to create the angled side wall.  Labor intensive but required very little tooling.  In fact one bottom tool can be trimmed to make 4 to 6  sizes. This New Balance shoe requires a rubber compression tool.
TOOLING:$   UNIT PRICE:$

Poured PU Midsole

The shoe is made by PU foam direct attach.  In this process the Upper is clamped into the top of a mold.   The mold is filled in two shots, first the sole is molded, once the bottom cools in a few minutes a second shot of light weight PU will fill the space between the Upper and bottom. The PU fuses directly to the upper.  This sole requires a 2 part PU rubber injection mold AND a million dollar machine.
TOOLING:$$$   UNIT PRICE:$

Classic Rubber Cupsole

This classic cup shoe with a one piece rubber cupsole.  The white side wall and black rubber are molded together in one operation.  The mold has a middle plate allowing the to parts to be formed separately, before the rubber is fully cured the middle plate is removed the rubber colors can fuse together without a messy seam.  The side logo is painted after molding.  Inside you will find a die-cut piece of EVA foam.  The stitch groove is an under cut in the mold but the stretchable rubber is easily removed after molding.  The channel stitching is done after assembly. This requires only a rubber compression mold.

TOOLING:$   UNIT PRICE:$
The cup sole mold can be made with no foam filler inside.  The cheapest shoes may have rubber egg crate filler.

PU poured Air

This classic air bag  shoe midsole is made by over molding PU but in this case the air bag is clipped in heel and exposed.  The window is where the clamps hold the bag in place and they stop the PU from covering the bag.  The rubber sole is made by compression,  the top of the black part is molds parting line.   The Yellow part with specs is the same PU part holding the air bag but this area is masked off and painted.   After the PU parts are cleaned and painted , they are bonded to the rubber parts by the stock fitting line.  The toe channel stitching is done after assembly. This outsole requires a rubber compression tool, Air bag mold and PU midsole mold.
TOOLING:$$   UNIT PRICE:$$

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Cup & Cut and buff sole

This indoor soccer shoe is a combination cupsole and cut and buff.  The rubber is pressed then the EVA wedge is cement in place.  The EVA is then buffed down to match the rubber side wall.  This construction is more flexible and lighter than a standard rubber cupsole.  This outsole requires a rubber compression mold.

TOOLING:$$   UNIT PRICE:$$

Classic Vulcanized Outsole

This outsole is standard vulcanized shoe construction.  This is how Vans makes it’s shoes, and how the Converse All Star is made.   The sole bottom is bonded to the upper, then striped rubber  foxing tape wraps them both.  After this assembly operation is done the entire shoe is cooked to cure the rubber making the bonds permanent. See Vulcanized VS Cold Cement  This outsole requires a rubber compression mold for the bottom and a specialized vulcanize production factory.
TOOLING:$   UNIT PRICE:$

Injection Molded Outsole

This soccer cleat outsole is made by injection molding process.  Cleated shoes for soccer, football and baseball require stiff supportive bottoms with heavy cleats.   Cleated shoes are made by the cold cement process.  The Sole unit may be sewn to the upper after the cementing operation.   This outsole requires a plastic injection mold.    Complicated designs with several colors require an expensive mold, Simple designs require a less expensive tooling.  Cleats with metal spikes or inserts require over molding processes.  This type injection tooling requires a specialized injection molding factory.
TOOLING:$$-$$$$   UNIT PRICE:$ to $$$$

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When shoes are made overseas they need to be transported to their final market.  Transportation is the act of moving it, but today I want to talk about importing shoes and import duty.  We wish it was so easy just to put the shoes on a boat and sail them here!  so easy! right?  Nope.

Once your shoe production run is finished the shoes are placed into an ocean freight container.  You have seen these giant boxes.  They are exactly the size of a 40 foot trailer on a semi truck. The standard size is 40 feet by 8 feet by 8 feet and holds about 5000 pairs.  There is the half size  20 footer and the Extra Large 40 foot High Cube (about 1 foot taller than the standard 40.
This is the standard shipping method  FCL (full container load) vs.  LCL less than container load or as loss freight.  Try to avoid LCL as it’s more expensive and takes longer and merchandise is not protected as well as when sealed in a metal shipping container.
Once your shoes are in the container they will be trucked to the freight harbor and delivered. This is handed by the Freight forwarder or the factories Freight forwarder.  The Freight forwarder is the company that arranges shipping and handles the export and import documentation.   They are responsible for passing the shipping documents to Customs officials of the exporting and importing countries. The forwarder contacts the shipping lines and schedules your container to meet the vessel traveling to your import harbor.
Because ocean shipping from china to the USA takes 15 to 20 days the forwarder has time to get your import documents processed before your shipment lands.

Shoe import duty depends on the country of origin and the destination country.   I’m going to talk about the import duty regulations for importing shoes from China to the USA.  The rules to classify shoes are common while each importing country may have different duties.

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For a shoe to be imported first it must be  “Classified” this tells the US government what you want to import and tell you what the import duty is.  A large shoe company will have an inhouse import specialist that will review the shoes  and assign the classifications.  It’s very important for you to know the duty classification as the duty must be added to your shoe price.  We call this “landing” or the “Landed Price”  This includes all the freight charges and the importing duty.
A quick word about the shipping.  This isn’t hard to hard calculate.  The container rate, document fees and inland transport divided into the number of shoes in the container.  For a full container load of 500 pairs  in a 40 foot container  the shipping from China to the West coast of the USA is around $.75 cents per pair..

Your shoes must be “Classified” according to the HTS or the USA “Harmonized Tariff Schedule” This is a huge book over 8 inches thick!  But you can use the PDF HERE or look the search from the USA HTS web site. to classify your shoes.  There are many sections for shoes, it’s complicated and can be a little daunting but I’m here to help.  For the common shoes types there are only a few HTS codes you need to know.    Now some the rules may seem a little nuts but that’s how it goes.    Why do Snowboarding boots have ZERO duty?   Because the Senator from Vermont knows Jake Burton and they figured it out.

 
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Once you shoe is classified you can assign it’s HTS code to the shipping documents so the US customs officials can send you the bill.  Actually your freight forwarder will add this to your customs clearance invoice.   The HTS is a 10 digit code – like this  6402.19.05.30

6402.19.05.30 is for Men’s Golf shoes Imported at 6%  You can check for yourself here.

Shoe classification are based on material, function, gender, size, construction and it’s value. When reviewing a shoe you need to consider it’s majority material (over 51%).  Is it natural leather? or made from R/P “Rubber plastic”.    Leather shoes are 8.5% to 10% Duty (based on the FOB price).   So a suede leather skate shoe would be 8.5%.

The same design made from  R/P or synthetic materials would be 20% +.90 cents if it’s price is less than USD $12.50!   Or it’s more than $12.50 just 20%.

If you are a shoe designer, developer or Product manager need to know this stuff!   Maybe adding $.05 cents to a shoe price can save you +.90 cents in duty.

As a shoe designer or Product manager you should sit down with your import classification specialist and get to know how this works in detail.  When planning your product line designing duty efficient shoes can save your company big bucks and deliver less duty payments to the US government and more value to your customers!

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As a shoe designer or developer, you’re going to need some shoemaking tools to help you do your job. I have created a list of the common shoe designer tools that we use every day in our busy shoe design and development office.  Some of these tools are specific to shoemaking, others are commonly found. In fact, almost all of these shoemaking tools can be found on Amazon.com.
Of course, you will need computers and drawing equipment but here is a list of the shoe designer tools that you might not commonly have but that you certainly need.

The Pantone color specification book is required for every shoe designer and developer. You will need to have a Pantone color book to communicate with the shoe factory and your customers exactly what color you want. The Pantone corporation color books are the industry standard for color matching.  You will find that every shoe factory will have a Pantone book so it’s easy for you to reference a color.  Without the Pantone book, it’s almost impossible to match colors correctly with your overseas factories.  They are expensive, you can share one in your office.  This is a must-have shoe designer’s tool.  You can get these from Amazon.

A small steel ruler is very useful for measuring all the shoe parts.  Make sure that the end of the ruler is cut off so it starts at zero so you can measure the inside of the shoe collar height by pushing the ruler into the bottom of the shoe.

A Leatherman multi-tool is a very useful piece of equipment with its blades for slicing open seams and its pliers for taking parts off. The serrated blade and saw blade are very useful for cutting sections out of sample shoes.

Shoemaking lasting pliers are also a very useful tool to have around.  In the shoe factory, they are used to pull the edges of the material down on the last and then tack it down with a hammer part.  As a developer, you will often use this tool to pull a shoe apart and see what’s inside.

A gram scale is a very useful tool in the creation of high-tech performance footwear. We quite often will have issues with subcomponents and measure each piece, part by part, to make sure that we’re making the lightest piece of footwear we can make.

We always have a flexible measuring tape on hand for measuring around shoe lasts and for measuring different shoe components. A flexible measuring tape is very useful for measuring feet and ankles.

A Durometer tester is used to test the hardness of any rubber or plastic shoe component.  For testing shoe rubber and plastic you need a Shore scale “A” tester. The Durometer tester’s bottom measuring pin is simply pressed against the material. The Durometer tester will give you a reading of the density of the material. Try to test in flat spots and take several readings for each shoe part you are checking.

An Asker “C” scale  Durometer tester is used to test the hardness of any foam shoe components. The Durometer tester will give you a reading of the density of the material. Try to test in flat spots, take several readings for each shoe part you are checking. For foam, try to cut the parts so you can test the center of the foam. EVA foam skin may give you a harder reading. A standard EVA midsole may be  55˚,   a soft footbed 35˚.

A set of adjustable dividers is very useful in designing and developing footwear. We use the dividers to check critical measurements of lasts and different components that may be hard to reach. A pair of dividers is a very useful tool when comparing dimensions from one sample to another. For working on oversize boot lasts you will need a set.

A pair of dial calipers or digital calipers is also very useful in making shoes. We use calipers every day to measure the width of small shoe components.

A Brannock device.  You’ve seen this tool in every shoe store. This is the standard for measuring feet. If you’re developing footwear, you must have a Brannok device in your office.  When a tester says a shoe fits loose or tight, the first thing you need to do is measure their feet against the machine.  Also, use your flexible measuring tape to measure feet.

An X-Acto knife is also an indispensable tool for cutting material swatches, for opening up shoes and cutting open seams. A very sharp hobby knife is a useful tool.

A 3-D printer can also be a very useful tool in the shoe development office. The 3-D printer can quickly create small plastic pieces that you might use for lace pulls or hardware. We have found the small 3-D printer is very practical and saves time and money.  The new 3-D printers can also print with flexible plastic materials. With the larger machine, you can also print outsole components.

A micrometer is a very helpful tool to have in your shoe development office.   We use this for checking the thickness of leather products or any synthetic material.  We use a micrometer almost every day to confirm that the materials in the sample shoe match the product specification.

A profile gauge is nice to have around when you are checking lasts. It’s useful for checking complex curves quickly.  While not a common tool,  we use this when we are working up a new last or checking that a midsole is following the last bottom curve correctly.

You can buy most of these tools here: Amazon.

In this article, we will discuss the difference between vulcanized shoe construction and cold cement shoe construction. Vulcanized shoe construction is a much older technology. In the 1980s, modern cold cement construction replaced vulcanized construction. However, fashions change and the vulcanized shoe made a huge comeback in 2010.

Cold cement construction allows the use of modern lightweight plastic, foam, and mesh materials due to the lower temperatures required for bonding. Every modern high-performance athletic shoe for running, basketball, etc… is made by the cold cement process. This is how Nike makes shoes.
The vulcanized shoe construction process is the classic way to make a sneaker. This is how Converse All-Stars and Vans skate shoes are made. Due to the high temperature required to vulcanize, or cook the rubber outsole, the material options are limited. Canvas and suede leather are common.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZwW86sYnlQ

The Shoe Dog would like to tell you about how vulcanized shoes are made.
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The Shoe Dog would like to tell you about the difference between vulcanized construction and cold cement process. 

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Cold Cement Shoe Assembly Process:

In the cold cement process, the shoe upper can be paired with a Strobel bottom. For this classic jogger style, the outsole covers the edge of the upper so a Strobel bottom will make the shoe lighter and more flexible.

The upper is steamed to soften the materials and the last is inserted and pulled tight. Once the last is tight inside the upper, a second lasting machine pulls the heel edge. With the last secured inside the upper, temporary shoelaces are pulled tight and the upper is cooled so it shrinks to the last.

The shoe may have a plastic or fabric part installed on top of the tongue to protect the surface from damage and drift during the lasting operations.

While the upper is being lasted, the sole unit is being prepared. In this case,  a rubber sheet sole is combined with an EVA foam cushioning component and cemented inside. This is done in a separate process that’s called stock fitting.

In this article, we will discuss the difference between vulcanized shoe construction and cold cement shoe construction. Vulcanized shoe construction is a much older technology. In the 1980s, modern cold cement construction replaced vulcanized construction. However, fashions change and the vulcanized shoe made a huge comeback in 2010.

Cold cement construction allows the use of modern lightweight plastic, foam, and mesh materials due to the lower temperatures required for bonding. Every modern high-performance athletic shoe for running, basketball, etc… is made by the cold cement process. This is how Nike makes shoes.
The vulcanized shoe construction process is the classic way to make a sneaker. This is how Converse All-Stars and Vans skate shoes are made. Due to the high temperature required to vulcanize, or cook the rubber outsole, the material options are limited. Canvas and suede leather are common.

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Shoe Sole Cementing

Now that the upper is tightly lasted and the outside unit is complete, the two pieces can come together. The rubber sole unit will receive a coating of primer and cement. The outsole will get its own special primer designed for EVA and rubber. The shoe upper is also prepared with its own special primer and cement.
After the contact cement and primer have dried in the heating tunnels, the two pieces are joined together by hand. A skilled worker aligns the upper and outsole together, then places the shoe in a hydraulic press.
The shoe will go through three pressing operations, usually, they are all done with one machine. A vertical press, toe and heel press, and side press. This ensures there is full contact between the upper and outsole. Once the shoe is pressed together it’s often put in the cooling tunnel to set the glue.
After the cooling tunnel a shoe de-lasting machine is used to push the last out of the shoe without wrinkling the upper.
Now the sneaker is complete and the worker can insert the footbed. The footbed may be molded EVA with a fabric cover or flat, sheet-cut foam. The flat, die-cut footbed is usually cemented inside the shoe, while molded footbeds are most often removable.
The new sneaker is ready for the final QC inspection, a quick check for any loose threads, cleaning, packing, and shipping.

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Board Lasting Operations

In vulcanized construction, the last must be aluminum to survive the oven temperature. Metal lasts also heat up and cool down quickly. The first step is to lightly cement the lasting board to the bottom of the last, just enough to hold it in place during the lasting operation. The lasting board is a paper fiberboard that provides stiffness to the finished shoe.

Lasting boards are made from different materials and can be stiff or flexible, thin, or thick. Now, the last and upper are taken to the lasting machine. The toe lasting machine pulls the upper down onto the last and securely bonds the two parts together in one operation. Once the shoe heel and waist of the shoe are lasted, the upper is ready for the outsole.

The first step of the vulcanized outsole assembly process is similar to the cold cement process. The upper and the rubber sole parts all receive their coating of primer and cement. Now, the rubber bottom with the cushioning wedge is bonded together with the upper.

The foxing tape covers the rubber outsole part and overlaps up onto the upper. The foxing tape must cover 5mm of the upper to have a solid bond. The shoe can now have the extra toe tape added, then a rear logo will be applied to cover the joining seam.

With the tape applied, it is time to rip off any extra rubber using a hot knife and to make sure there are not any gaps. The sole will get a quick pressing to make sure the parts are fitting correctly.

The Vulcanizing Oven

With the last still inside, the shoe is placed on a steel rack so it can be wheeled onto the oven.
The shoe will be “cooked” in the vulcanizing oven for several hours. The shoe is heated long enough for the uncured foxing tape and the sole unit to fuse together.

After cooling, the shoe last is removed, the footbed is inserted, and the laces are attached.

The shoes are now ready for final inspection, cleaning, and packing.

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What is inside your shoes? A quick lesson on shoe reinforcements

All the hidden parts inside your shoes that you cannot see are critically important to the look and function of the shoe. The most common shoe reinforcements are the toe counter (or puff), vamp reinforcement, heel counter, and eyestay reinforcement.
The stiffness or softness of these shoe reinforcement parts will determine if your shoe is a pliable, comfortable dress shoe or a trail-ready hiking boot.

Toe Puff

The toe counter or toe puff can be made of a non-woven polyester fabric saturated with a heat formable plastic. The material is die-cut from flat sheets to fit the shoe pattern and layered inside the shoe between the lining and the outer material. This material often has a heat activated cement on the surface.
When the shoe upper is processed, during stitching and before the Strobel bottom is sewn on, the toe counter is heat formed. The front of the shoe is placed in a heater for a few minutes then the upper is clamped into a cooling fixture with a shaped metal form to set the toe shape.

Heel Counter

The heel counter can be made by the same process and with similar but thicker materials that come in many different grades. The materials made by Texon and TecnoGi contain heat-moldable Surlyn plastic. For a better fit, a shoe factory may use a 3D injected plastic part instead of the sheet cut goods. For less expensive shoes, a material called chemi-sheet can be used.  Chemi-sheet is a solvent activated material, it is functional but can crack. It is cheaper but not as good as the Surlyn plastic heel counters.
The eyestay reinforcing material is called Super-Tuff.  Super-Tuff is often found reinforcing punched hole eyelets or riveted eyelets on shoes. This material is a thin, non-woven laminated fabric that can be cut but is very difficult to tear. The name says it all!

Vamp Reinforcement

The vamp reinforcement is often a thin layer of polyester fabric with adhesive backing. Placed on the vamp area, this material will stop the wearer’s toe from stretching the material or even stop a toenail from wearing through.
For more information check out  http://www.Texon.com and www.Tecnogi.com. Both make a wide range of reinforcement products for athletic and fashion shoes.  Learn more about shoemaking and materials in our books How Shoes Are Made and the  Shoe Materials Design Guide available in softcover or download editions so you can start reading today.

What is inside your shoes? A quick lesson on shoe reinforcements

All the hidden parts inside your shoes that you cannot see are critically important to the look and function of the shoe. The most common shoe reinforcements are the toe counter (or puff), vamp reinforcement, heel counter, and eyestay reinforcement.
The stiffness or softness of these shoe reinforcement parts will determine if your shoe is a pliable, comfortable dress shoe or a trail-ready hiking boot.

Toe Puff

The toe counter or toe puff can be made of a non-woven polyester fabric saturated with a heat formable plastic. The material is die-cut from flat sheets to fit the shoe pattern and layered inside the shoe between the lining and the outer material. This material often has a heat activated cement on the surface.
When the shoe upper is processed, during stitching and before the Strobel bottom is sewn on, the toe counter is heat formed. The front of the shoe is placed in a heater for a few minutes then the upper is clamped into a cooling fixture with a shaped metal form to set the toe shape.

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Heel Counter

The heel counter can be made by the same process and with similar but thicker materials that come in many different grades. The materials made by Texon and TecnoGi contain heat-moldable Surlyn plastic. For a better fit, a shoe factory may use a 3D injected plastic part instead of the sheet cut goods. For less expensive shoes, a material called chemi-sheet can be used.  Chemi-sheet is a solvent activated material, it is functional but can crack. It is cheaper but not as good as the Surlyn plastic heel counters.
The eyestay reinforcing material is called Super-Tuff.  Super-Tuff is often found reinforcing punched hole eyelets or riveted eyelets on shoes. This material is a thin, non-woven laminated fabric that can be cut but is very difficult to tear. The name says it all!

Vamp Reinforcement

The vamp reinforcement is often a thin layer of polyester fabric with adhesive backing. Placed on the vamp area, this material will stop the wearer’s toe from stretching the material or even stop a toenail from wearing through.
For more information check out  http://www.Texon.com and www.Tecnogi.com. Both make a wide range of reinforcement products for athletic and fashion shoes.  Learn more about shoemaking and materials in our books How Shoes Are Made and the  Shoe Materials Design Guide available in softcover or download editions so you can start reading today.

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