Shoes That Never Get Wet – So What's the Catch?
Footwear waterproofing technology has just taken a giant step forward – but we’re wary of the implications.
Shoe manufacturers Hi-Tec have just unveiled a form of chemical treatment that can be applied to any surface to render it waterproof. The significant word is surface: unlike traditional waterproofing techniques which rely on layers to trap moisture, the new “ion-mask” technology coats the outside of shoes with a material that repels water, making it bead and run away before it can be absorbed. Since porous surfaces can be treated in this way, a shoe can be waterproof and fully breathable.
Sounds great – but in the absence of hard facts, here’s a few questions we have:
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Ion-mask uses a chemical that is “based on fluorine“. There’s a worryingly large amount of toxic substances that are also based on fluorine, such as the extremely corrosive hydrofluoric acid (pdf). What’s the chemical?
How quickly does this fluorine-based compound biodegrade in the environment, and into what? Furthermore, how does it affect the way the material it’s coating biodegrades?
If this is an inert, durable substance that does no harm, it’s a winner – as it’s replacing traditional waterproofing chemicals like Durable Water Repellents (DWRs), some of which decay into the surfactant PFOA, a suspected carcinogen. (And DWRs wash off waterproof clothing, which is why you need to renew them periodically).
Hi-Tec claim the environmental impact of using ion-mask is “small“…and we’re keen to see if this holds water.
Image: Jenny Downing
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2 Comments
September 4th, 2008 at 11:58 am
This would be a great function, especially where I’m from – rainy rainy Vancouver. What I’m really interested in finding out is how much these shoes would cost and more importantly, what they look like… I always love the feel of comfort shoes, ie. aerostyles, rockports, naturalizer, ecco, etc., particularly since I have a bad back. But it’s a bit demoralizing for a 20-something year old when your girlfriends are strutting around in their impossibly high heels, and you’re wearing a pair of solid leather, low-heeled boots that your grandmother thinks are adorable. There must be a happy medium somewhere!
candy
carrieanddanielle.com
September 7th, 2008 at 2:31 am
Thanks for dropping by, Candy! Well, that’s the most interesting thing about this breakthrough – since it’s a coating that can apparently be applied to any shape or style of shoe of any material, it means waterproofing doesn’t have to affect the style – so form is pretty much independent of function. Let’s just hope it’s ecologically responsible as well!
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