Send GORE-TEX® Footwear to the desert

Gore presents its latest concept for Desert Boots at the IWA in Nuremberg (Hall 9/Booth 304) from March 6 to 9, 2015. With a new laminate class, the functional textile manufacturer achieves an even lighter solution for footwear suitable for all conditions.

Some boots get dusty. And quite a few boots get to know dust, sand, and dirt: hot and arid regions are among the top favorites when it comes to serious use. But even in domestic lands, things can heat up, and the wearer needs boots that are reliable and can handle any situation. Gore is therefore guiding its partners to three new models: lightweight and heavy field boots for terrain use and tactical field shoes for versatile, urban use.

With GORE-TEX^® Extended Comfort, Gore responds to the special challenge that a membrane shoe faces in very warm temperatures.

The key element of Gore's further development in Desert Boots is a new laminate class, which is essentially the heart of the hot soles: GORE-TEX^® Extended Comfort shoe laminates address the specific challenge posed by heat. The thin three-layer laminate consists only of a highly abrasion-resistant, quick-drying inner lining and an outer protective layer. Sandwiched between them is a material that significantly contributes to the dream of dry feet, the microporous, waterproof, and highly breathable GORE-TEX^® membrane made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

With GORE-TEX^® Extended Comfort, Gore responds to the special challenge that a shoe with a membrane faces in very warm temperatures. The new shoe laminates from Gore address this by providing the highest breathability and outstanding ability to dissipate heat. This means that sweat that forms inside the boot is released quickly and sufficiently. At the same time, the foot is protected by the liquid-tight boot from oil, wastewater, dirt, paint, and other moist challenges in the area of use. In addition, the membrane boot also offers more protection against additional troubles, such as sand in the boot. And it ensures better temperature management when the sun no longer shines in the desert: then the nights there are particularly cool.

GORE-TEX^® unfolds its development in three types of shoes for which Gore provides the shoe laminate and the corresponding processing technology:

- Unlined GORE-TEX^® Extended Footwear: The lightweight field shoe is as waterproof as it is extremely breathable. It has no insulation to not block heat exchange. The minimalist shoe construction helps to keep it extremely light and to dry as quickly as possible if it gets wet.

- Tactical GORE-TEX^® Extended Footwear: The tactical use shoe combines the new GORE-TEX^® inner life with a sporty-light construction. It is intended for the many operational scenarios that are part of daily tactical life, explorations leading out of the base, patrols in urban areas. The shoe resembles mid-height sports shoes, which are popular with many emergency responders. The versatile athletic design is complemented by the basic characteristics of a GORE-TEX^® shoe: permanently waterproof, highly breathable, no insulation to hinder heat loss, very light.

- High Liability GORE-TEX^® Extended Footwear: as the terrain becomes more challenging, the operational shoe must grow as well. The third variant of the new field shoe line is a heavy-duty version. The GORE-TEX^® Extended Comfort inner life is combined with a sturdy leather construction. Stable at the ankle and supported in the shaft, this massive shoe offers the same properties as its lighter counterparts: waterproof, breathable, no additional insulation to hinder the desired heat loss.

The result of Gore's laminate development is also very relieving for all potential wearers in another respect. Since every gram counts when walking and marching, which a person lifts with each of their steps, the user can also breathe a sigh of relief here. GORE-TEX^® Extended Comfort Footwear leads – using the example of the Unlined line in size 42 – to the boot weighing 600 grams. This is 20 percent lighter than previous Deserts Boots with GORE-TEX^®.

The new GORE-TEX^® Footwear concept will be presented at the IWA in Nuremberg from March 6-9, where Gore, together with its shoe partners Haix, Lowa, Meindl, YDS, and Cosmas, will present collections of the new Desert Boots.

Gore on the Internet: www.gore-workwear.de

Gore at the IWA:

Hall 9, Booth 304