Classification and Performance Introduction of Sports Shoe Sole Materials

(1) Rubber: used for various sports shoe soles; Advantages: Good wear resistance, anti slip, elastic, not easy to break, good softness, good elongation, stable shrinkage, good hardness, and good flexibility. Disadvantages: Heavy weight, prone to frost (due to quality issues), less prone to corrosion (environmental issues)

(2) PU: High molecular weight polyurethane synthetic material, often used as a midsole for basketball and tennis shoes, and can also be directly used as a sole for casual shoes. Advantages: high density, hardness, wear resistance, good elasticity, good oxidation resistance, easy corrosion, environmentally friendly, and less prone to wrinkling. Disadvantages: Strong water absorption, easy yellowing, easy breakage, poor elongation, poor water resistance, and easy bottom decay.

(3) EVA: Ethylene acetate copolymer, polymer material. Commonly used as a midsole for jogging, jogging, casual shoes, and foot training shoes. Advantages: Lightweight, elastic, flexible, not easily wrinkled, with excellent coloring properties, suitable for various climates. Disadvantages: Easy to absorb water, not easy to corrode, not conducive to environmental protection, and easy to get dirty.

(4) PHYLON (MD): It is a secondary high-pressure molded product of EVA, and is the main material for the midsole of running shoes, tennis shoes, and basketball shoes internationally. It can also be used as a sole for casual shoes. Advantages: Lightweight, elastic, slim appearance, and good softness. Easy to clean, with good hardness, density, tensile strength, tear resistance, and elongation. Disadvantages: Not easily corroded, not conducive to environmental protection, prone to wrinkling and shrinkage at high temperatures.

(5) TPR: It is formed by hot melt injection molding of TPR particles, commonly used in the midsole and outsole of jogging, jogging, and casual shoes. Advantages: Easy to shape and affordable. Disadvantages: Heavy material, poor wear (not wear-resistant), poor flexibility, poor bending (not resistant to bending), poor shock absorption ability

(6) Performance comparison: TPR ratio is significant, relatively heavy, with average elasticity and wear resistance. Rubber soles have a relatively high density, but they are soft, wear-resistant, have strong grip, but poor elasticity, and are generally used in indoor football shoes and casual shoes. The EVA sole is very light and elastic, but the elasticity decreases after wearing it for a long time, making it more stable. PU and MD soles are elastic and durable, making them more flexible and comfortable during exercise. They have a small weight and are very lightweight, so they are widely used (PU has a higher density and better shock absorption effect than MD, but it is also relatively heavy). Generally, large soles are made of rubber, which is wear-resistant and anti slip.