Industrial Materials Design — Classification and Characteristics of Outsole Materials

Each material has different design characteristics and properties, and I hope this will be helpful to everyone. Let's take a look at them together below.

Rubber Outsole: Rubber, as a high-molecular compound, is made from natural or synthetic rubber for outsoles. It has excellent elasticity, wear resistance, flexibility, compression resistance, and softness. It also provides a certain amount of shock absorption, making it widely used in the sports shoe industry.

EVA Outsole: The EVA outsole is made from ethylene and vinyl acetate copolymer through a foaming molding process. It has many advantages, such as being lightweight, elastic, flexible, wrinkle-resistant, and having excellent colorability, making it adaptable to various climates. The elasticity of the outsole depends on the vinyl acetate content; the higher the content, the better the elasticity and moldability.

PU Outsole: PU outsoles are low-temperature molded soles. They are very lightweight, but they should not come into contact with water, as it causes a chemical reaction that leads to the soles being eroded layer by layer.

TPR: TPR (Thermoplastic Rubber) has the properties of rubber, including wear resistance. It is cost-effective, but it becomes slippery when exposed to oil-based solvents. Its resistance to yellowing is average.

Rubber RB: Available in both natural and synthetic types, rubber RB is wear-resistant, elastic, but heavier and more expensive. It is ideal for high-friction shoes like basketball shoes.

MD Outsole: MD outsoles, also known as PHYLON outsoles, are commonly called "flying dragon" soles. MD stands for MOLDED and refers to a secondary high-pressure molding product made from EVA. These soles are lightweight, elastic, and shock-absorbing.

The hardness is controlled by the foaming temperature, and they are mainly used for high-top shoes due to their good softness, high elasticity, warmth, but relatively poor wear resistance.