An Advertising Feature
The technology behind hiking boots
In recent years, there has been a notable increase in research behind the use of tested material for the improvement of outdoor footwear performance. This doesn’t mean that more traditional material such as leather have gone out of use. Below we list the most common trail & hiking footwear Upper construction materials.
GOR-TEX
A comparatively expensive fabric but one of the most sophisticated materials to date is Gor-Tex. This is a waterproof but breathable material that keeps the water out while still facilitating sweat vaporization. Some walking boots have uppers that are entirely covered by Gor-Tex while some others only have it in parts where there is need for increased ventilation. Gor-Tex offers a number of products depending on the conditions in which the respective product will be used e.g. snow and rain, warm climates etc. Similar to these fabrics are the PU membranes manufactured and supplied by eVent.
LEATHERS
A more traditional way of manufacturing shoes Uppers is to use leather. Four types of leather are commonly used: Full-grain, top-grain (also referred to as simply leather), Nubuck and suede.
- Full grain provides greater strength, friction resistance and breathability and is the most expensive of the three.
- Leather is more affordable, lighter and stain-proof and has a smoother texture but presents a few disadvantages when compared to full grain: lower insulation, less flexibility and a ‘plasticky’ feel and appearance.
- Nubuck is a top grain; thinner, lighter, more flexible and hence more comfortable than leather. It is popular thanks to its sleek appearance but lacks the abrasion resistance.
- Suede is a very light, soft and flexible leather of lesser quality that is used in conjunction with other light fabrics so as to boost their strength.
SYNTHETIC MESH
Synthetic mesh can also be used to add breathability, flexibility and comfort on lighter hiking shoes. However this material has low strength and doesn’t offer water resistance and insulation, making it inappropriate for heavy duty. As such it is only used in conjunction with other materials.
CORDURA
Cordura is a synthetic fabric that provides exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, while also being tear- scuff- stain and abrasion-resistant. Its only drawback is its low heat insulation.
Very few hiking boots uppers’ today are constructed with one single material. Instead, a combination of the above (and others) is preferred so as to achieve the best possible performance –depending, of course, on environmental and activity factors.
