As a New Midsole Material Launches has Adidas Boost Foam met its match?
Adidas and BASF turned heads with the introduction of the futuristic Boost Foam technology. The unique midsole material has performance advantages and a distinctive look. Boost foam is actually a new formulation of a common plastic, TPU. TPU or Thermoplastic poly-Urethane Boost is “blown” meaning the chemical engineers at Adidas and BASF have figured out a way to introduce air bubbles into the plastic making a new TPU foam.
The challenge of making Boost TPU foam midsoles
The texture, while distinctive, makes all Boost midsoles look alike. This distinctive look is great for marketing launches but designers need the ability to make shoes look different year to year.
Boost foam also has a color issue. The TPU foam cannot be molded in color so the midsoles must be painted. Painting midsoles adds cost to the product and even flexible paint can be scratched off or chipped off the foam surface.
The Boost midsole also requires special steam expansion equipment not found in the standard shoe factory.
A new midsole foam better than Boost?
Today we visited an EVA pressing factory with a new compound in development. This new midsole foam is a mixture of EVA and TPU. This new foam has the resilient, wrinkle-free feeling of Boost foam but it can be made with standard EVA forming machines. The foam maker is
This new midsole compound is lighter than standard EVA and can be molded in any color like standard EVA midsole foam. This new EVA TPU foam is a little more expensive than standard EVA but costs much less than Adidas TPU Boost foam.
To make a new shoe pattern step-by-step you will first need to “tape” the last so you can “pull the shell” off the shoe pattern. The tape should be layered in two different directions so the pattern stays together when you are ready to peel it off the last. You will start on the lateral or outside of the shoe last. First, starting at the top, lay the tape lengthwise down the lateral side of the last. Next, run a strip of tape down the center of the last from the top of the instep down to the toe. Do the same on the heel of the last. Finally, run layers across the last from the bottom edge up the side of the last. Make this extra smooth, this will be your drawing surface when you start marking your shoe pattern.
It’s fun to add a little color or paste on a logo. You can start to get a feel for what the design will look like in 3D. Go ahead and iterate upon your design, this is your time to be creative. If you don’t like your line, grab some tape, cover it up, and try again.
Here is the pattern free of the last. You may find that it does not lay flat, don’t worry.
Once the tape is peeled from the last and flattened you have the shoe pattern! The pattern with all the parts together is called the “shell” pattern. With the pattern attached to some paper, it’s time to “trim out” the pattern. Now the shoe pattern can be redrawn in a computer and cut out of heavy paper. The Pattern Cutter will add the overlaps and alignment marks.
