PPE: MATERIALS, MACHINERY AND TECHNIQUES FOR THEIR PRODUCTION addition, employing nanomaterials can lower costs in the production of shoe parts, using in obtaining them cheaper raw materials, but without losing benefits. So far, insoles have been developed which avoid unpleasant smell and unsanitary conditions inside the shoes, that’s a very interesting application for users who spend many hours a day carrying safety boots, or controlled release of substances enclosed in nanocapsules that improve footwear comfort. Much research is also being carried out in developing nano-sized fireproof compounds and other flame retardants to replace the halogenated products currently used in firefighter’s footwear, which gradually must be replaced because they are dangerous compounds for manipulation and the environment. Some benefits Nanomaterials enclosed in the outsoles will reduce the wear on them, improve perforation resistance and increase the friction coefficient to achieve, in the latter case, non-slip soles. The investigation of technical fabrics layered with nanomaterials is also giving good results, for example, in obtaining highly hydrophobic textiles to repel water and even oil stains, materials with greater resistance to chemical attack, less wear to abrasion or nanoparticles heat regulators by insulation. Conductive floors or anti-static, nano-sensors, breathable fabrics... are many other properties/uses that are being investigated and applied in the safety footwear industry. Nanotechnology is a very young science that is growing rapidly because of its enormous potential. The contribution of CTCR In a clear commitment to this new technology, el Centro Tecnológico del Calzado de La Rioja (CTCR) counts on a Department of Nanotechnology working on research projects to develop materials that enable footwear manufacturing with new properties, mainly in the field of safety footwear, also offering services to identify potential applications of nanotechnology in the footwear field, proposals feasibility analysis, study of singular projects with companies, as well as management and development of industrial research projects. *Jorge García Barrasa. Director de Nanotecnología (Nanotechnology Manager). CTCR. THE LEADING EDGE IN TECHNOLOGY 115