Recently, BASF and footwear design company Maddy Plant have joined hands to explore the possibility of BASF's innovative material solutions and the use of industry-leading technologies to achieve energy-saving production, and developed a new concept athleisure shoe series "MADGAMMA - Intertekk Saturn".
"This concept shoe demonstrates our successful idea of making footwear both sustainable and high-performance. Our goal is to bring these advanced technologies into mainstream footwear production," said Minli Zhao, Vice President, Consumer Products, Asia Pacific, Performance Materials, BASF. ."
Sustainable materials ensure superior performance
Key features of MADGAMMA - Intertekk Saturn include:
Upper made from 100% Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Freeflex™ monofilament, the upper is transparent, abrasion resistant and recyclable. The Freeflex uses minimal seams and its stitching conforms to the foot for superior comfort and maximum performance. It is lightweight and its transparency allows for more flexibility in design.
The tongue is woven from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers with Freeflex TPU elastic fibers: Freeflex TPU elastic fibers are used as an alternative to dry-spun spandex due to their soft stretch properties. It is eco-friendly, uses no organic solvents, and uses a cost-effective manufacturing process.
Replaceable midsole made of lightweight, high-rebound and bio-based Elastopan® N Polyurethane (PU) series: PU is made of bio-recycled material for better cushioning compared to traditional midsole and durability, while being more sustainable. Another alternative midsole option (provided by partner Suzhou Shensai) is made from bio-based TPU foam, which has a lower density, high energy rebound and is recyclable. The interchangeable midsole solution provides users with different midsole options for different occasions - the lightweight, high-rebound Elastopan midsole is suitable for sports scenes, while the TPU foam midsole can be used for casual wear.
Anti-twist sheet made of bio-based Elastollan® N TPU series, 35% bio-based: Elastollan's good stiffness provides ideal stability for high-performance sports shoe components.
The outer midsole and outsole are made of bio-based Elastopan PU with a bio-carbon content of more than 30%: the outsole made of Elastopan combines an optimized shading design to maximize surface contact while providing excellent anti-slip properties.
