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| PU Safety Shoes |
Polyurethane (PUR and PU) is a polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. While most polyurethanes are thermosetting
polymers that do not melt when heated, thermoplastic polyurethanes are also available.
First Otto Bayer and his coworkers at I.G. Farben in Leverkusen, Germany, first made polyurethanes
in 1937. Practically every world-class chemical company worth its name as been
experimentiong with PU in some form or the other
On a practical note, PU safety shoes has
certain advantages over normal material, namely, it can take a lot of harsh
treatment under tremendous stress, strain, temperature and all kinds of
pressures. The fact that it is used in heavy industries and automotives in
critical areas like the engine itself, underscore one fact- it is bloody tough.
And dirt cheap as it is made in bulk by practically all the countries the world
over.
From the chopping board in
our kitchens to our bath mats to seat covers to computer covers, the list seems
endless.What then is the secret
behind PU’s heavy usage. In two word- Durability and price competitiveness. One field to have fallen
flat in love with PU is footwear. PU shoes with animal hides and other
organic materials not being available in quantities as required in addition to
not being conducive to certain environments and uses, it was but natural that
the field was wide open for something which fulfilled all these conditions at
an unbelievably low price. Thus came into being PU shoes. Starting as PU soled
shoes, it has now in certain cases claimed the uppers as well, not to talk of
the inners, midsoles etc. etc, meaning practically the whole shoe, except the
foot in it!!
Mind you, PU is not some
cheap filler material that one makes shoes from. After extensive research, PU
is created as per the need of the shoe and the shoe constructed likewise. PU
has thus revolutionized the concept of custom-built footwear from end to end
and given the cost factor, made it available to even those section of the
populace which otherwise would not have dreamt of wearing them ever! A
politician’s best friend, a shoe! Most people would agree given the depths to
which politics seems to have fallen! PU shoes are thus here to stay.
Within the realms of the
footwear business, it is the tough safety shoe which has benefitted most.
Safety shoes have one objective. Protect the foot. Multi-layered PU soles can make them impervious to climates
and corrosive chemicals besides protection from physical dangers like sharp
objects and moving tools like grinders and drill bits. The tough steel toe
continues though without the steel. It now sports the hardened PU toe doing the
same job at lesser price and even lesser weight! Revolution in shoe technology
means a breathable, tough PU upper which gives a feel like leather with far
less in the name of maintenance and money.
In the Indian context, PU
safety shoes have been around for some time though a lot needs to be done.
Given the size of our economy and its growth rates, it is but natural that
entities like Pune-based Sara Safety shoes which has done extensive work to
bring newer products to the market try and bridge the gap.
Sources :-
1) Wikipedia
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Please feel free to leave you comments below.
About Author :- Sara Rajput is the Managing Head of Sara Safety Shoes.
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