Dow Chemical: Breaking The Midsole Of Sports Shoes And Promoting Shoe Material Transformation

Recently, the State Council issued several opinions on accelerating the development of sports industry to promote sports consumption, and promoted the sports industry and national fitness as a national strategy, and the sports industry ushered in the "golden age". It is estimated that by 2025, the total scale of China's sports industry will exceed 5 trillion yuan, and the annual average in the next 10 years. Reunite with The growth rate will reach 22%, and the whole industry will continue to develop at a high speed.

There is no doubt about the long-term prosperity of sports consumption in the long run. Admittedly, whether in competitive sports or in people's fitness activities, sports shoes are always indispensable equipment for people's competition and daily exercise. With the increasing demand for the performance requirements of sole materials, the research and development of shoe sole materials has become increasingly difficult. Footwear manufacturers and shoe bottom formula designers are constantly looking for new solutions to improve product performance, comfort and durability. Dow elastomers, as a business department of Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW), have made outstanding contributions to the research and application of raw materials and technologies for footwear, and are committed to providing differentiated mid bottom performance for shoe brands. Continued Solution.

Dow elastomer business began in 1990 to develop and research footwear high-performance materials, from the initial EVA polymers to polyolefin elastomers (POEs) to the 2007 sprout of new technology - INFUSE series olefin block copolymer, Dow elastomer business continues to develop, the courage to seek new challenges, challenges and achieve the new shoe technology revolution. After many years of exploration, INFUSE technology olefin block copolymer (INFUSE OBCs OBCs) technology, which is used in the middle of shoe material, has been mature. It is the sole material of shoe material in the April 2014 Shanghai exhibition. production A new breakthrough in technology.

So what are the advantages of Dow INFUSE OBCs? What is the meaning of the performance of the Dow's brand? What is the significance of the research and development field of the whole footwear technology? The reporter has the honor to interview the principal responsible person of Dow's elastomer business department, so as to further understand the development trend of the shoe material industry and the development prospect of China's footwear industry.

Reporter: as a cutting-edge technology, what are the real competitive advantages of INFUSE OBCs in the shoe material industry?

Dow: to remain competitive, we need to understand what customers really need and what they care most about. Based on our understanding of the market and customer feedback, for high-end sports shoes, they are mainly concerned about three points: first, comfort, that is, better cushioning and supporting; second, durability, shoes can not cross the hard, it will lose the value; the third point is high resilience, especially running shoes or basketball shoes.

From these three aspects of development direction, INFUSE accelerator OBCs as the modifier of EVA based foam material, the main advantages include high resilience, no deformation, light weight, good wear resistance, excellent weather resistance and contact pressure and shrinkage deformation characteristics. The shoe material has obvious softness, and the sensory stimulation is very small, so that the contact between human skin and shoes is more comfortable. Secondly, OBCs has very good high temperature stability, thanks to its unique block structure, its melting point almost does not change with the density change, basically maintains at 120 degrees, so the product's high temperature resistance compression and permanent deformation and high temperature shrinkage are very good. Furthermore, INFUSE OBCs OBCs has outstanding high resilience, not only has low crystallinity amorphous part to provide excellent resilience, but also has high crystallinity part control shrinkage to maintain dimensional stability, the two aspects of the contradiction are well integrated, at the same time, the middle bottom is thinner, lighten the weight, and lighten the sports shoes. First, the shoes of INFUSE OBCs are more traditional than those of EVA. These three points are the most critical factors. With these three factors, we can well meet the needs of our customers and remain highly competitive.

Reporter: have you encountered any difficulties in the development of INFUSE OBC?

Dow chemistry: we didn't encounter too many obstacles. Because we know that OBC has a relatively high melting point and can recommend customers to adjust the corresponding process and adjust the formula. Taking scorched peroxides as an example, by adjusting the formulation slightly, the formula is more suitable for mixing at higher temperatures, thus avoiding the phenomenon that customers need to avoid. We will provide them with technical guidance to ensure the smooth use of OBC in their production formula.

Reporter: according to the advantages of INFUSE OBCs, it is mainly used in sports shoes. Is it applicable to other footwear?

Dow: we mainly focus on the promotion of sports shoes, but Dow's business is not just about sports shoes. We have gradually focused on the market beyond sports shoes, such as women's shoes and some high-end slippers brands, because these brands have higher requirements for softness and comfort, and INFUSE OBCs just meets their requirements.

Reporter: how has the elastomer high end foam shoe material been put into the market?

Dow chemistry: INFUSE OBC, as a leading technology in Dow chemistry, has won many international awards in recent years. After the launch of our products, the degree of customer recognition is very high. Without too much adjustment, they can see the advantages of OBC. And because OBC is a Dow patent, we are not worried that other competitors will develop similar products in the near future. In 2014, sales of INFUSE OBC were double that of last year, and this figure will continue to increase significantly in the next five to ten years.

Reporter: why choose the Chinese market as a strategic focus area for Dow INFUSE OBCs products promotion?

Dow: China's sports market has increased rapidly in the past decade or twenty. Especially since the 08 Olympic Games in Beijing, sales have been double digit growth. Nowadays, with the support of national policies, the sports industry will usher in the golden age, and the prospect of China's sports market is limitless. Of course, competition is inevitable in such a market environment, and stock wars and price wars are inevitable. Therefore, we will take the customer group as the starting point in the promotion, so that customers can realize the value of the product. For the time being, our OBC is mainly promoted to high-end shoe materials of various brands. For example, shoes with more than 120 dollars will be recommended for them to use OBC. If the customer can not recognize the value of the product, the product is also difficult to be launched.

Reporter: in recent years, the footwear industry in Jinjiang is in an important period of transformation. Some enterprises have encountered the situation of the boss running away, others have achieved a successful transformation. What do you think of the development of shoe industry in Jinjiang?

Dow Chemical: Dow aims at brand dealers and manufacturers who have certain requirements for high-end sports shoes. In our existing customers, we seldom encounter the boss's running condition. With regard to transformation, our partners are willing to transform and develop high-end markets. They also attach great importance to long-term market development and occupation. They hope to have close cooperation with international enterprises such as Dow, which is why they can not stand up.