Adidas uses Bayer’s Impranil coating for Olympic wear
The new adipure line of training shoes from adidas use a
textile coating based on a polyurethane dispersion from Bayer MaterialScience’s
Impranil range.
The shoes are designed to support natural running through
a rolling motion over the metatarsus and forefoot. The coated upper material of
the shoe envelops the foot seamlessly like a second skin, offering high
resilience. According to Bayer, it braces the foot without restricting freedom of
movement.
Screen-printed coatings based on Impranil are also used
as highly elastic bands in the latest adidas jerseys with Techfit PowerWeb
technology. When the bands are stretched, the material briefly stores the
energy of the athlete’s movement, which would normally be lost, and provides
increased speed and power.
This is said to improve performance and prevent premature
fatigue. The higher compression avoids undesirable muscle vibration, which can
affect an athlete’s performance.
"We developed the concept for the textile coating in
close collaboration with adidas and then perfected it in laboratory
trials," says Thomas Michaelis, a specialist for textile coatings at Bayer
MaterialScience.
Bayer and adidas have collaborated on a number of
occasions over the last 25 years.
