Outdoor shoes generally refer to the general term for shoes with different functions for different types of outdoor sports. Basically include alpine boots, mountaineering shoes, hiking shoes, casual shoes, river tracing shoes, rock climbing shoes, beach shoes, ski boots, golf shoes…
With the development of outdoor activities, outdoor shoes have experienced several generations of improvement and innovation, and the level of craftsmanship has developed by leaps and bounds. In particular, the application of high-tech materials has made outdoor shoes more shock-absorbing, non-slip, waterproof, wear-resistant and comfortable. The performance has been greatly improved.
1. Classification of outdoor shoes
According to different use scenarios, outdoor shoes focus on different technical features. Based on the functional classification of outdoor shoes, they can be roughly divided into five series:Alpine series (also called heavy-duty mountaineering boots)
Specifically designed for snow mountain climbing, the soles are usually made of Vibram or Skywalk outsole, lined with steel plates, which have strong impact resistance. The uppers are sewn with hard plastic resin or thickened cowhide or sheepskin, and are lined with warm shoe covers. , adaptable to complex and harsh mixed terrains of snow, solid ice, and rocks, and can effectively protect your feet.
Low mountain series (also called heavy climbing shoes)
This type of shoes is intended for use on peaks below 6,000 meters above sea level, for climbing ice walls or rock walls mixed with ice and snow. The outsole is made of wear-resistant rubber (Vibram or Skywalk) and is lined with organic carbon plates between the midsole and the outsole. The sole is very hard. It has strong impact resistance and sufficient support when climbing. The upper is sewn with thickened (above 3.0mm) cowhide or sheepskin. In order to enhance the waterproof and moisture-permeable effect, GORE-TEX or SympaTex is often used as the lining. Cover with insulation layer.
Travel series (also called medium-sized hiking shoes)
The target is low mountains, canyons, deserts, Gobi and other more complex terrains, suitable for medium and long-distance heavy-bearing hiking. This type of shoe has strong support and can effectively protect the ankle bone and reduce injuries. The outsole is made of wear-resistant rubber, and some are also designed with nylon plate support between the outsole and midsole to enhance the hardness of the sole, which not only effectively prevents sole deformation, but also enhances impact resistance. The uppers are often made of wear-resistant fabrics and are waterproof. They are much lighter and more flexible than the high mountain series and low mountain series.
Hiking series
The most commonly used variety in outdoor sports. The purpose of use is for short- to medium-distance hiking with light loads. It is suitable for gentler mountains, jungles, general outings or camping activities. The outsole is made of wear-resistant rubber, and the midsole is made of microporous foam and double-layer encrypted rubber. Some of the outsole is made of plastic plate interlayer, which has better impact resistance and shock absorption. These shoes are light, soft and comfortable. , good breathability and other advantages.
Hiking series
The hiking series of outdoor shoes, often called low-top shoes, are designed for daily wear and non-weight-bearing sports. The wear-resistant rubber outsole means you never have to worry about the wear and tear of the sole that will affect your use. The elastic midsole can not only reduce the impact of the ground on your feet, but also relieve the pressure of your weight on your feet. Some also have keel designs, which can Effectively prevent sole deformation and enhance support.
For outdoor shoes, European standards are classified as follows:
A: Light Walking & Multi Terrain Hikers
Lightweight for outdoor activities, casual wear, often used for activities such as city walking and short distance cycling.
AB：Light Trekking Boots
These shoes are designed for planned walking activities and hiking tours of about two days.
B：The Classic Walking Boot
The common features are durability and comfort. These shoes are truly professional products for outdoor sports, targeting people who regularly participate in outdoor activities for a long time.
BC: The Ultimate Trekking Boot
These reflect the advancement of outdoor product manufacturing, meet additional needs, and challenge harder and longer treks.
C: Sub Alpine, Off Trail, Sidling Boots
Meet the needs of technical movements such as traversing and climbing, and provide good stability and adaptability to any climate.
D：High Alpine Boots
High-tech design and production to conquer extreme environments in high-altitude areas.
2. Functional requirements
The technical characteristics of outdoor shoes are reflected in the various technical indicators of outdoor shoes. It refers to the various functions that a pair of outdoor shoes should have. A pair of high-quality outdoor shoes should at least have the following functions:
1. Breathability
In outdoor sports, the feet bear all the weight of the body and the backpack, supporting the human body in all activities. They are one of the parts of the human body that undergo the greatest amount of movement. At the same time, there are 300 to 350 sweat glands per square centimeter of skin on the feet, which is much higher than the average of 200 to 230 on the hands and forehead. The sweat flow in the feet is also the largest compared to other parts. Therefore, when walking and traveling, when the feet start to move, the temperature of the feet will increase rapidly, and the perspiration will also increase significantly. If the shoes are not breathable, foot sweat cannot be absorbed by the shoes in time or discharged to the outside world. If the shoe cavity is damp, the comfort of the shoes will be reduced, the shoes will also become less wear-resistant, and bacteria will easily breed, causing extreme discomfort to the feet.Test Equipment:Textest FX 3340 Handheld Breathability AnalyzerTextest FX 3300 IV Breathability Analyzer
2. Waterproof
For a long-distance traveler, he will face various complex climates. When traveling on cloudy and rainy days, if the shoes are not waterproof, they will not only be heavy after being soaked in water, but also be very easy to injure your feet due to the increased friction. If they are in the cold season, they are also prone to frostbite. Regarding the waterproofing of outdoor shoes, it is necessary to highlight it. Outdoor waterproof shoes and rain boots are two different types of products. Rain boots have long-lasting waterproofness if the rubber surface is good, but they are not breathable; while outdoor shoes are conditionally waterproof, which is based on good breathability. . Through technological processing, it is waterproof and breathable. But it can only be waterproof under certain conditions and for a certain period of time, so the waterproof function cannot be compared with rain boots.Test Equipment:Textest FX 3300 IV Breathability AnalyzerTextest FX 3180 Water Vapor Transmission Analyzer
3. Supporting force
In order to adapt to the complex outdoor terrain and meet the requirements of mountaineering or hiking under load-bearing conditions, outdoor shoes must have good support. This is a problem that is not difficult to understand. A column has the strongest bearing capacity when it is vertical, but when it is bent, its bearing capacity will be greatly reduced. In addition to having a great relationship with the upper, the support of outdoor shoes is also directly related to the structure of the sole.
For a good pair of outdoor shoes, the upper part usually adopts a tight design. Each part of the upper can be reliably combined with the surface of the foot. This not only makes the wearer feel comfortable, but also can better overcome the dispersion of force from the foot to all sides. . This supports the vertical force on the feet to achieve the purpose of enhancing support.
4. Anti-slip function
When you are walking on complex and steep terrain, there is a potential risk with every step you take. In this case, the stability of your steps is extremely important. If you fail to stand firmly with one step, it may cause injury to your feet or human body. Therefore, outdoor shoes are required. It must have good anti-slip properties and be able to firmly grip the ground with each step forward, allowing you to take a new step safely.
5. Shock absorption function
When a person hikes under weight, each foot takes about 600-700 steps per kilometer. This means that for every kilometer of walking, one foot has to withstand 600-700 gravity impacts. If the shoes do not have a good shock-absorbing system to alleviate this impact, the feet will definitely feel exhausted after a day of travel.
The good shock absorption can not only effectively absorb the vertical pressure of the human body, but the hard outsole can also effectively resist the impact of hard ground, making you feel relaxed when walking. In addition, the fatigue of walking is often caused by the impact of the ground on the brain. Good shock absorption can also reduce the vibration of the ground on the brain, greatly reducing the fatigue.
6. Windproof and warm
When planning to travel in winter or hiking in high-altitude areas, the outdoor shoes you choose must have warmth and basic performance in handling low-temperature outdoor scenes. Loss of temperature not only affects the comfort of shoes, but can also cause physical harm and even endanger life.
Thermal resistance (Rct) is one of the indicators for evaluating warmth retention, which represents the resistance to heat flow due to temperature differences between layers of shoe fabric. Thermal resistance can be expressed as the ratio of the temperature difference between the shoe layers to the vertical heat flow per unit area of the shoe, and the larger the value, the better the thermal insulation effect.Test Equipment:PT Teknik 出汗發熱腳部模型The PT Teknik sweating and heating foot model has an advanced and precise sweat regulation system, which can provide a method to test the thermal and moisture resistance of entire shoes or socks, and evaluate the warmth and breathability performance of the product. The simulated foot model includes flexibly rotating knee joints and can be put on simulated skin to evenly distribute surface moisture. The model is divided into 9 independent temperature-controlled sweat zones, and the guard zone design complies with ASTM F3426 standards to prevent thermal interference and heat loss.-9 independent temperature-controlled sweat zones -Put on the simulated skin to evenly distribute surface moisture -The temperature is evenly distributed on the surface, with no local hot or cold spots -Operating environment: -20~+50℃
7. Thermal and moisture comfort of the entire shoe
With the upgrading of manufacturing and consumption in the Chinese market, a single foam shoe material can no longer meet people’s needs. Today’s shoes are more of a combination of multiple high-performance materials. While manufacturers are looking for cutting-edge technologies and innovative materials to enhance the core competitiveness of their products, they cannot ignore people’s overall performance of shoe quality, especially the improvement of the comfort of the entire shoe. Due to the influence of the shoe itself (shoe structure, style, thickness, fabric structure), human physiological activities (movements, activity volume, skin surface temperature), external environmental conditions (air temperature and humidity, thermal radiation, wind speed), etc., the blocky shape The thermal and moisture resistance values of fabrics and actual wearing conditions are different. Therefore, when evaluating whether a shoe is comfortable or not, it cannot be determined by the fabric alone. The thermal and moisture comfort of the entire shoe must also be considered.Test Equipment:PT Teknik 出汗暖體假人Denmark’s PT Teknik sweating warm-up dummy is also the first warm-up dummy that can be brought to outdoor environments for live testing. The simulated human body model has the ability to simulate real feet heating and sweating. The advanced sweat pore diversion groove design can buffer sweat discharge and expand the sweat diffusion range. The position of the sweat pores is designed according to the physiological three-dimensional structure of the foot, fully considering the flow direction.The system can simulate the body temperature, sweating, breathing and other functions of the human body, and realistically simulate the physical state of the human body in different environments, thereby comprehensively reflecting the heat and moisture exchange process of the human body, shoes and the environment, and improving the heat and moisture transfer performance of the entire shoe. Make a comprehensive evaluation.
3. Future development trends
New materials are the source of innovation in the shoe industry. The development of the shoe industry is inseparable from the development of materials. The innovative application of materials promotes the innovative development of the shoe industry. “Functionality + sustainability” is becoming an important direction for shoe innovation. Functionality includes better sports performance and more comfortable wearing experience. For example, some materials can enhance windproof, waterproof, breathable, wear-resistant, etc. functions, while other materials can bring deodorization, ice feel, elasticity, etc. to the wearing experience. Sustainability includes biomanufacturing, biodegradability, environmentally friendly low-carbon recyclability, green production, etc.
Generally speaking, the footwear industry has high requirements for underlying innovation, and requires a combination of materials technology, biotechnology and other aspects of accumulation to achieve breakthrough progress.Read the original article: What essential functions should outdoor shoes have?
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Low mountain series (also called heavy climbing shoes)
PT Teknik 出汗發熱腳部模型
Denmark’s PT Teknik sweating warm-up dummy is also the first warm-up dummy that can be brought to outdoor environments for live testing. The simulated human body model has the ability to simulate real feet heating and sweating. The advanced sweat pore diversion groove design can buffer sweat discharge and expand the sweat diffusion range. The position of the sweat pores is designed according to the physiological three-dimensional structure of the foot, fully considering the flow direction.
