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Footwear

Shaping the next generation of performance footwear

For next-level athletic performance, sustainability, and brand appeal, Dow innovations help provide the winning formula for footwear.

How are we shaping the next generation of performance footwear?

Whether your win is next-level athletic performance, next-level sustainability or next-level brand appeal, Dow innovations support the winning formula for footwear applications.

UNDER ARMOUR
CROCS

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Performance like pure magic

Dow and Under Armour (UA) teamed up to design the brand’s most technically advanced and durable basketball shoe yet - the Curry Flow 8. Discover how together we engineered the “unicorn foam” that’s revolutionizing basketball shoe performance.

The Curry Flow 8 basketball shoe in flexion on yellow background, with a focus on the sole of the shoe

The challenge of performance footwear

For years, Dow and Under Armour have been collaborating behind-the-scenes to disrupt the status quo and deliver breakthrough innovations within the athletic shoe space. The first brainchild, born in 2018, was UA HOVR™, UA’s third generation foam cushioning for running shoes that married incredible comfort and high energy return.

Once again, in 2019, Dow and UA changed the game with another disruptive shoe technology. This almost magical technology for sole structures that could prevent slipping, deliver durability, comfort and responsiveness without bulk.

"We had worked with Dow on UA HOVR™ and had great success there. Under Armour does a meeting with them every year and we walked through new materials that could apply to footwear and apparel."

Fred Dojan, Under Armour Innovation’s VP of Footwear Development

The latest solution for athletic footwear

During one of their routine innovation days, Dow approached UA with a pioneering concept – rubber-less “unitsole” shoes that were lightweight and could deliver unprecedented stability and flexibility. Initially, this unitsole technology was designed for UA’s running shoes, but after testing prototypes in the gym of UA’s Portland campus with four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry, a new application was dreamed up - basketball shoes. The challenge then became mastering the unique specifications of the material in time to be launched as the inaugural product within the Curry Brand.

Historically, shoe midsoles are formed of several components with rubber outsoles which requires a more complex manufacturing process and more weight to achieve ideal performance. Together, a hand-selected team of engineers from Dow and UA worked for three years to develop UA Flow – also known by UA as “unicorn foam”- the industry’s first “unitsole” foam material that eliminates the need for rubber outsoles.

This depth of knowledge enabled the team to fine-tune the formulation for energy return, shock absorption and traction to enhance the court feel, cushioning and speed of movement without sacrificing durability.

Basketball player wearing Under Armour Curry Flow 8 basketball shoes while playing basketball

Anytime you’re introducing a game-changing technology like this, the bumps are hard to avoid. For example, during wear testing, key foam performance issues were identified. But, by playing so well together, Dow was able to seamlessly conduct foam cell morphology studies using proprietary lab technology, identify root cause and recommend new processes to help UA maintain a successful, on-time delivery. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?

Performance is key, but so is being good stewards of the planet. That’s why this collaboration was about more than just the physical performance of the shoe. The “unicorn” foam helped UA lower the carbon footprint of its manufacturing process by reducing materials, energy, waste and labor required. Additionally, the cost-savings potential is substantial; the technology can reduce cycle time required to assemble the shoe sole by 50%.

The Curry Flow 8 basketball shoe hovering on white background, with a focus on the sole of the shoe

Award-winning footwear

Dow and Under Armour received an Edison award in 2022 - an acknowledgement of their revolutionary impact on product and service development, human-centered design, and innovation.

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The challenge of Crocs

Crocs has been designing innovative footwear since 2002 – and Dow has been helping them, providing key materials for Crocs’ proprietary Croslite™ material. But since then, the brand has been on the hunt to create “the shoe of the future”. Driven in particular by a goal to reduce the carbon footprint of their trademark shoes by 50%. The challenge? To preserve the crucial product benefits of Croslite™ which provides maximum comfort and cushioning to Crocs wearers, with lower carbon materials for this next generation of eco-conscious consumers.

“Achieving our goal to be net zero by 2030 is a top priority, and it couldn’t be done without the right partner who was equally as invested in working with us to start by reducing the carbon footprint of our footwear."

Andrew Rees, Crocs CEO

“We’re passionate about supporting the carbon reduction goals of like-minded companies, like Crocs, and work towards more circular solutions. This was a very exciting opportunity for Dow to scientifically shape the future of performance.”

Karen S. Carter, President of Dow’s Packaging & Specialty Plastics

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The solution for sustainable Crocs

Because of how closely the teams had been working for years, finding a solution wasn’t as complex as you might expect. Dow had already been hard at work developing a new, more sustainable version of our materials by utilizing sustainably-sourced bio-based feedstock to create polymers through a mass balance approach. Starting in 2020, Croc’s sustainability team alongside footwear and renewable material experts from Dow met regularly to make Crocs’ vision a reality.

The new polymers, part of our Ecolibrium™ bio-based portfolio, were a drop-in solution, enabling Crocs to achieve their trademark comfort, durability and material flexibility while reducing the shoe’s carbon footprint.

Sustainable footwear

From brands to shoppers, every one of us can play a part in reducing the impact of climate change. But how can we work together to create footwear that balances environmental responsibility with effective performance?

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Have an idea?

Game-changing products require game-changing teamwork. Collaborating with Dow on performance apparel isn’t just about connecting with materials science experts, it’s about forging a partnership that inspires, unlocks the magic of materials and designs a better, more sustainable future.

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