Lenzi Egisto innovates once again with uppers designed for safety and sport
Lightness and breathability combined with flexibility and resistance. These are the strengths of the new fabrics in the Sport Air line.
Keep reading...A few evenings ago, I was having dinner with some entrepreneurs who manufacture footwear in the Far East. The sourcing manager of a large Italian group that develops and markets safety footwear was also invited. A clear and decisive statement: “I have no intention of being a guinea pig: you have to prove to me that you have already produced safety footwear that complies with current regulations”. It is clear that safety is a world apart, one that cannot be improvised: materials and construction, and therefore technology, must comply with precise standards.
If a sole for sports footwear involves a complex system of performance values, a sole for safety footwear adds a list of requirements relating to use in challenging work environments: from a restaurant kitchen to a construction site, an oil rig or a room in the middle of a fire.
This is where a reasonable knowledge of materials and moulding technologies is not enough. You really need to be an expert because safety requirements are no laughing matter: shoes can only be placed on the market after being certified by a specific body.
Co.Bo. now has several years of experience in the design and production of soles for safety footwear and has also supported companies in the sector with direct injection projects on uppers. Its in-depth knowledge of thermoplastic and thermosetting polymer chemistry, combined with experience gained in dealing with the science of more complex performance materials, has enabled Co.Bo. to always offer the most appropriate solutions for different contexts of use, such as composite safety toe caps.
This experience and a naturally innovation-oriented DNA have led to the proposal to bring Hypercell, a technical expanded polymer launched on the market in 2025, into the field of safety footwear. In a world currently dominated by PU, Co.Bo.’s proposal provides an alternative for creating lightweight and comfortable inserts and fillers, with superior shock absorption and reduced overall footwear weight, while maintaining the same level of resistance to oils and hydrocarbons required to comply with typical safety footwear requirements.
Matteo Pasca, Arsutoria director
