TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) with its excellent processing properties, such as injection molding, extrusion, calendered, blow molding and molding, etc., widely used in the shoe upper, midsole and outsole and other shoemaking links, welcomed by shoe manufacturers. As can be seen from the figure below, TPU covers almost every area of the footwear manufacturing process.

The application of TPU in the manufacture of sports shoes is mainly divided into three key parts: upper, midsole and outsole.

1. Upper: TPU yarn and synthetic leather

The common shoe upper of sports shoes are breathable woven upper and waterproof leather upper. The woven upper is made of TPU yarn, which is soft, durable, has high wear resistance and easy plasticity, and can be 3D shaped by hot pressing.

TPU yarn upper is prized for its superior durability and comfort, while TPU synthetic leather can be used in areas such as upper and trim, providing another combination of fashion and functionality.

2. Shoe midsole: ETPU

The application of TPU in shoe midsole is very mature, usually through supercritical kettle foaming process to make foam particles, and then combined with water vapor or microwave molding to get ETPU midsole. Compared with traditional EVA midsoles, ETPU midsoles have excellent resilience, extremely low compression deformation and excellent wearing experience.

ETPU midsoles have become standard for many brands of sports shoes due to their superior performance, while TPU insoles, prepared by a foaming process, show potential despite being used less at present.

3, shoe outsole: wear-resistant, non-slip TPU

TPU shoe outsole, manufactured by injection molding process, is known for its wear resistance and high strength properties. In addition, the anti-slip performance of the outsole of TPU shoes is also an important indicator to measure its performance.

TPU outsole has a place in sports shoes because of its wear-resistant and non-slip properties, and other applications of TPU in sports shoes include anti-torsion sheets, heel sheathing, hot melt adhesives and films.

To sum up, TPU material with its versatility and excellent performance, plays an increasingly important role in the manufacturing of sports shoes, and constantly promotes the innovation and development of footwear technology.