4o Trimestre 16 Athletic GORE-TEX® Safety Footwear Sporty S2/S3 safety footwear with enhanced climate comfort Protección Laboral 89 People working in the logistics sector, in the construction industry, or as craftsmen often have to wear safety footwear to protect them from water exposure and falling objects and to prevent injuries to the foot caused by sharp objects penetrating through the sole. As these shoes are often extremely heavy, many workers prefer not to wear them.According to recent online community surveys in Germany, France and the UK, these wearers are looking for lighter, more exible and signi cantly more breathable safety shoes that have the comfort and look of a sports shoe. Working in close collaboration with its partners in the footwear industry, membrane specialist Gore has developed a new generation of safety shoes: its Athletic GORE-TEX® Footwear.This footwear successfully ful ls these requirements while also providing effective protection against water and commonly occurring chemicals. GORE-TEX® Extended Comfort Technology At the core of this new line of safety footwear is the GORE-TEX® Extended Comfort Laminate: an exceptionally thin 3-layer laminate that comes without insulation. The construction consists of a highly abrasion resistant textile lining material, the microporous GORE-TEX® membrane made of expanded polytetra uoroethylene and a protective knit. The new GORE-TEX® Extended Comfort Laminate is highly breathable and recognised for its outstanding heat loss.The wearer’s feet continue to be durably protected from water whilst any sweat that has built up inside the shoe can escape faster.At the same time the laminate offers protection against penetration from commonly occurring chemicals such as diesel, AFFF re- ghting foam (3%), sulphuric acid (37%) H2SO4, or caustic soda (30%) NaOH, in accordance with ISO 13994/ASTM F 903, method C1. Performance that exceeds the standard Athletic Safety Footwear is certi ed in accordance with EN ISO 20345:2011 and provides S2 and S3 level protection. In actual fact, it far exceeds the minimum requirements de ned in the standard. According to standard EN ISO 20344:2011, that speci es methods for testing footwear, waterproofness is to be measuredafter4,800 exmovementsinsole-high water, whereby a water penetration of up to 3 cm2 is permitted. Gore’s own standards, on the other hand, require that Athletic GORE-TEX® Safety Footwear withstands at least 100,000 ex movements which means 20 times more than de ned in the standard, and in this case no water penetration is allowed (applies to low cut shoes styles: mid cut shoe styles are tested for 300,000 ex movement). The new footwear lining laminate remains durably waterproof even after contact with commonly occurring chemicals include diesel, AFFF re- ghting foam (3%), sulphuric acid (37%) H2SO4, or caustic soda (30%) NaOH. (test method ISO 811). It is a similar story with breathability.With a water vapour resistance (Ret) of < 8 [m2Pa/W] according to ISO 11092, the GORE-TEX® Extended Comfort Laminate is one of the most breathable footwear lining laminates in Gore’s portfolio. It is classi ed by the Hohenstein Institute as being “highly breathable”. At the same time, the shoe materials used in Athletic GORE-TEX® Safety Footwear achieve a breathability value that is up to six times higher than thevaluesspeci edinthestandard.Proofofthefact that the thermal and moisture conductivity of the Athletic GORE-TEX® Extended Comfort Footwear is extremely good, even at summer temperatures and when wearers are engaged in strenuous activities, has been provided by a recent climate chamber trial conducted by Germany’s prestigious Hohenstein Institute. Sports shoes as a source of inspiration For the design and construction of their new Athletic GORE-TEX® safety shoes Gore and its shoe manufacturing partners took their inspiration from the features, technologies and design elements used in the sports and multifunctional footwear sector. Used in combination with highly breathable, extremely durable upper materials, special lightweight sole constructions, penetration resistant materials and toe cap protection, the new laminate now makes it possible to manufacture sporty, high performance safety shoes in accordance with EN ISO 20345:2011. 61 Updated products