The procedure would reduce the number of production steps from 15 to just one, Department says. This process is not only easier and cleaner, but also improve the performance of the shoe. At the same time, CO₂ emissions would be reduced by 26% compared to a conventionally produced running shoe. “The principle is to mix a thermoplastic material with an inert gas, nitrogen, which we inject into a form under high pressure. The nitrogen enables the material to foam finely and in a single step without adhesive directly to the upper material,” describes Stéphane Benaddi, Technical Project Leader, Footwear Process at Kiprun, the procedure. According to the expert assessment, the procedure is very innovative, especially in the running shoe area.
According to Decathlon, the advantages of the model include its ease. The women’s model weighs only 226 g in size 38, while the men’s version 277 g in size 42 weighs. With an explosive of 6 mm, the KIPX should also support a natural running movement in order to convey a pleasant and efficient running feeling to the runners.
According to the Decathlon, laboratory tests have also resulted in an improved abrasion strength of the sole and a longer damping, whereby the entire product life has been increased by 50% compared to a reference model. This enables the runners to wear their shoes longer without affecting the performance.
