Footwear can get very hot and uncomfortable during exercise due to excessive sweat, friction, and lack of airflow. Footwear also mechanically breaks down over time, which means the last mile used feels very different from the first mile.
Traditional materials employed as cushioning for athletic footwear have additional limitations (including durability, stability, thermal and moisture management, environmental impact, weight, and aesthetics) and are almost all petroleum-based foams.
We are looking for technologies that can deliver increased thermal comfort through better airflow across the foot while maintaining key properties in athletic footwear (energy return, compression set, weight). These approaches could include mechanical cushioning systems, non-polymer/foams if applicable, and biobased solutions.
- Scalable molding processes
- Biodegradable materials and/or composites
- Ultrafast printing techniques that require very little post processing
- Structural fibers and textiles
- Adhesive free construction materials
- Compatible with standard manufacturing techniques (injection molding, compression molding). Alternatively, other methods must approach the cost and speed of these common practices.
- Provide a measurable/perceivable benefit over traditional products (ie EVA foams) pertaining to thermal comfort.
- Sustainability (i.e. compostable, biodegradable or recyclable)
- Tunable mechanical properties (Easily change density, hardness, impact properties within a materials family)
- Gradable mechanical properties within single parts (Demonstrate the ability to vary properties within a part. i.e. hardness increases continuously through a part from one side to another)
- A unique external visual aesthetic
- Fluorine-based chemistries
- Solvents that cannot be recycled
Under Armour has partnered with industry-leading organizations including The University of Maryland's Engineering Department, The Dow Chemical Company, Huntsman, Lectra, Bemis, Epson, Desma, and 3dMD, among others. These partners and others will team up with Under Armour to drive innovation in product and process technology.
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