Design flexibility scoops PPE award for OutDry
25/04/2012
SATRA has set up an awards programme for personal protective equipment (PPE) products and at a ceremony in April in the UK city of Coventry, it awarded the prize for ‘Best Contribution to PPE Production Efficiency’ to OutDry for its one-step direct lamination process.
An awards jury examined a sample of the Empire Outdry protective boot, designed and manufactured by Italian company Sixton for continued use in severe climate conditions. The boot meets S3-CI-WR-HRO-SRC standards according to EN ISO 20345 norm. Key features include a full grain leather upper directly laminated with OutDry waterproof breathable membrane, and a lining containing merino wool. This combination provides protection from extreme wet and cold weather and also offers a high level of comfort.
A jury statement said OutDry, developed in Italy but acquired by Columbia Sportswear in 2010, was “a waterproofing technology which permits design freedom and flexibility in production”. As a result of this flexibility, the statement pointed out, Sixton had been able to use wool rather than material from non-renewable resources in the lining of the Empire boot.
Matteo Morlacchi, one of the founders and general manager of OutDry Technologies, said on accepting the award: “We are extremely proud of the award we received as we recognise SATRA as the world’s leading authority in footwear technology research and testing. And we are really pleased about the motivation as this is really the first ‘WR’ [water resistant] marked PPE boot in the market with a wool lining.”
Mr Morlacchi went on to say that all other water-resistant safety shoes available in the market at the moment include a seam-taped bootie made from a waterproof breathable membrane layered to the lining material. Because of the bootie construction technique, he explained that it is impossible to use thick materials such as wool for the lining layer.
In contrast, OutDry’s technique involving direct lamination of the waterproof and breathable membrane onto the inner side of the upper of a boot or shoe leaves designers free to pick from a wider range of lining materials. In the Sixton Empire Outdry, the footwear brand has chosen merino wool as the most effective lining solution for the specific use the wearer will subject the boot to, and for the environmental and sustainability benefits associated with wool in comparison to most synthetic fibres.
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