Extreme water-repellent coating for sports shoes by P2i
29 Jan '07
3 min read
Ion mask coating by P2i
Oxford a space age technology developed to protect soldiers from chemical attack is set to become the latest weapon of athletes on the track with sports shoes that repel water like never before. Known as ion mask, the revolutionary process applies a protective layer, just nanometres thick, over the surface of the shoe by means of an ionised gas or “plasma”.
The treatment not only coats the external surfaces of the shoe but also the inside, between and around the individual fibres in the shoe. This makes the process particularly effective on shoes containing synthetic materials.
Invisible to the naked eye, ion mask allows the foot to breathe but stops water seeping through the sides of the shoe; bouncing off the surface instead like beads of mercury. Unlike conventional waterproof treatments that require additional layers to be sewn into the shoe during manufacture, which add weight and can result in poor fit of the shoe, the ion mask treatment is applied after the shoe has been manufactured and does not compromise the fit or weight of the shoe.
Furthermore, the process treats all materials within the shoe at once coating synthetic materials as well as leathers.
Conventional footwear requires the addition of membrane technology in conjunction with taped seams in order to display highly water resistant properties. P2i's ion-mask enhancement process can take an ordinary shoe off the end of the manufacturing line (or even off the shelf at a retail outlet!) that would normally fail the shoe flex test and render it highly water resistant. The technology can be used as a novel non-tape seam sealer and displays excellent abrasion resistance.
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