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Keeping little feet dry and comfortable In 1980 GORE-TEX® product technology was used in footwear for


the first time. In Europe today, GORE-TEX® footwear works with more than 60 of the top footwear brands. In children’s footwear these include brands such as Clarks, Primigi and Superfit. Prior to a new GORE-TEX® footwear style appearing in-store, globally recognised Gore laboratories check every last detail.


The technology behind GORE-TEX® Footwear So, how does it work? The GORE-TEX® membrane, which is


sandwiched between the inner and outer layer of the shoe and surrounds the entire foot, has 1.4 billion micro-pores per square centimetre. Each pore is 20,000 times smaller than a drop of water, but is 700 times larger than a water vapour molecule. This means that excess heat and sweat can escape, but water and wind cannot penetrate from the outside. The result is that little feet stay dry and comfortable and don’t overheat.


Rigorous testing for quality footwear that lasts Gore understands that children’s shoes must be robust and


durable. Over the past 10 years Gore has invested millions of pounds researching climate comfort in footwear. Every year Gore tests some 14,000 materials that affect climate comfort – from the upper leathers to the sewing threads. Shoes that use GORE-TEX® product technology undergo rigorous product testing to ensure they meet strict manufacturing standards. In the “flex machine” – a special walking simulator – the test shoes


‘walk’ up to 500,000 steps submerged in a bath of water. This roughly corresponds to an 825 kilometre hike along a stream. In the climate chamber, artificial feet drenched in sweat, are put into the test shoes to test their breathability. They are also filled with water, mounted on a centrifuge device and spun for an hour at high speed. There is a centrifuge device at each of the 160 plus GORE-TEX® footwear manufacturing plants. Only shoes which pass these tests in Gore’s accredited


laboratories across the globe are ready to take on the challenges that children will put them through in everyday life. If customers are not completely satisfied with the waterproofness or breathability of the shoes, Gore will repair them, replace them or refund the purchase price. After all, Gore vouches for the quality of its products with its GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY™ promise.


Do you know? The temperature of our feet changes dramatically depending on


the weather, our level of physical activity and the climate comfort of our shoes. Each day adults feet perspire roughly one half of a cup of moisture per foot while at rest and up to a cupful during activity and/or in hot weather. It’s important therefore to allow feet to breathe and to allow excess moisture to escape so that feet are at a comfortable temperature and to help reduce the likelihood of blisters.


Why feet need to breathe and sweat The temperature of our feet has a major influence on our feeling


of well-being. In extensive testing Gore has discovered that the perfect skin temperature for our feet while we rest is between 28-32°C. If it’s lower than 28°C they feel cold – at about 12°C they are in danger of frostbite.


The sweat produced by your feet must be able to escape Apart from our palms, no other part of your body produces as


much sweat as our feet. If this sweat cannot escape, we start to feel very uncomfortable. Furthermore, feet that are wet and sweaty are more likely to rub and get blisters. Yet another reason why feet need to be dry!


SEPTEMBER 2011 • FOOTWEAR TODAY


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