Don’t follow the pack


It is no great surprise that when fast-growing Australian performance clothing innovators Zhik turned their attention to the creation of a new high-performing offshore seaboot the result would be a little different…


It wasn’t the best of legs for Team AkzoNobel. Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race was a 6,500-mile sleigh ride through the Southern Ocean from Cape Town to Melbourne. Things went wrong for the Dutch crew when they mistimed a gybe in strong winds and big rolling seas. Laying the boat on its side out of the gybe led to damage to the mainsail battens and the mast track and forced the crew to make running repairs while trying to maintain as much speed as they could. It’s at times like these that you


want everything working in your favour, which is why Team AkzoNobel – as well as Dongfeng Race Team, who finished second on this leg – opted for Zhik as their technical apparel partner. Recently voted Best in Class by Yachting Monthly magazine in the UK and Dutch sailing magazine Waterkampioen, Zhik’s ZK Seaboots don’t look like anything else on the market. In fact, Zhik’s design team started with a blank slate to come up with something


66 SEAHORSE


that looks and performs quite differently in several key respects.


Uppers After reviewing the evolving requirements of the modern offshore sailor, Zhik set about developing a new boot type, using a combination of sealed neoprene and soft rubber construction, with glued and blind-stitched seams plus additional seam tape reinforcement to provide 100 per cent waterproof protection from the elements. Drue Kerr, Zhik production manager and senior designer, was lead designer on the ZK SeaBoots project. ‘Based on our research and conversations with experienced offshore sailors, our seaboots value dryness over breathability. ‘Breathable boots tend to suffer


from a well-known issue… they leak easily and trap water between the membranes. In fact, they can they stay wet and heavy for an “unpleasantly” long time. This then limits the thermal insulation they can provide when wet. So we went


Above: with immaculate timing for some product testing… the crews of AkzoNobel and Dongfeng are wearing the new Zhik ZK Seaboot in the current Volvo Race, providing immediate feedback on an innovative new approach to blue-water footwear. With little previous design ‘baggage’ Zhik’s technical team can enjoy taking a completely fresh look at each new area of sailing apparel


down the route of achieving dryness above all else.’ Neoprene was chosen over


leather for its non-absorbence and insulation qualities. The neoprene is used in combination with rubber for foot protection, support and durability. Seams are glued, blind- stitched and seam-taped to ensure they are waterproof. A strong rubber outer wraps over the lower boot and foot for protection and foot support, and the sealed neoprene uppers extend up the leg like a snug-fitting, warm sock, designed to fit closely over base layers and leggings. The boots have additional


waterproof gaiters which are worn over the trousers to reduce water douses up the leg from waves; these in turn integrate with Zhik’s Isotak ocean and offshore trousers and Aroshell coastal trousers. The gaiters are secured with a


draw cord and, in anticipation of any water draining down inside the gaiters, a perforated neoprene gusset in the lower section ensures


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