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F E A T U R E D T O P I C<br />
Technical Footwear Business Commemorates 20 Years in Europe<br />
Serves Military and Workforce Markets<br />
“Soaking wet, full of blisters and<br />
generally sore”—this is how a German<br />
military major described the condition of<br />
his soldiers’ feet following a high-altitude<br />
mission in the rain and snow more than<br />
two decades ago. In fact, their feet were<br />
so wet and wounded they had to cancel<br />
their mission.<br />
This negative experience led to a<br />
partnership between <strong>Gore</strong> and the German<br />
Armed Forces, and, ultimately, to the first<br />
commercialized GORE-TEX ® footwear<br />
product within Europe’s Technically<br />
Oriented Fabrics business unit.<br />
That product—a waterproof mountaineer<br />
boot for Germany’s Federal Defense Force—<br />
paved the way for additional contracts with<br />
European military units, as well as various<br />
sectors of the European workforce.<br />
“Our level of innovation, our outstanding<br />
technology and the quality and durability<br />
of our products set us apart from<br />
competitors,” says European Footwear<br />
business leader Günter Nötzold.<br />
Meeting Diverse Needs<br />
When the technical footwear business<br />
first began, it leveraged resources from<br />
<strong>Gore</strong>’s consumer footwear business,<br />
which already had a presence in the<br />
United States and Europe. Today, these<br />
businesses continue to benefit from a<br />
number of the same tools, such as the<br />
“whole boot comfort test” designed<br />
to measure breathability. But each<br />
business also has its own set of unique<br />
resources, based on customer and<br />
enduser requirements.<br />
Günter, who started in consumer<br />
footwear, says the growth of technical<br />
footwear over the past two decades<br />
has exceeded expectations. He adds,<br />
“The reaction from end-users is always<br />
very positive. They comment on how<br />
comfortable and reliable our footwear is.”<br />
There are more than 450 styles of<br />
GORE‐TEX ® footwear for the military and<br />
workplace markets in Europe. End-users<br />
include firefighters, law enforcement<br />
Firefighters in Reutlingen, Germany, are among<br />
the many who rely on GORE-TEX ® footwear to<br />
keep their feet comfortable and safe. The brand<br />
is the market leader in the firefighting and police<br />
segments in Germany.<br />
officials, construction workers and railway<br />
workers, among others. “We strive to<br />
maintain optimum skin temperature and<br />
humidity under all conditions and in all<br />
categories,” Günter says.<br />
To meet the diverse needs of different<br />
end-users, three product classes exist: one<br />
for use in cold weather, another for use in<br />
moderate to warm weather and another<br />
for use in changing weather conditions. In<br />
addition to protecting against the weather,<br />
GORE‐TEX ® footwear also protects against<br />
chemicals and bloodborne pathogens in<br />
certain applications.<br />
“We work hard to understand the specific<br />
needs of each end-user,” Günter says.<br />
“Whether you’re exposed to freezing cold<br />
temperatures, the desert heat or chemical<br />
and biological agents, we have a solution<br />
engineered for you.”<br />
Collaborating with<br />
Manufacturers and End‐users<br />
One reason GORE‐TEX ® footwear stands<br />
apart from competing products, Günter<br />
says, is because <strong>Gore</strong> works closely<br />
with manufacturers to ensure consistent<br />
quality across all brands.<br />
“In the 1990s, as more shoes with<br />
GORE‐TEX ® membranes were being<br />
worn in the workplace, the difference in<br />
quality among these shoes was becoming<br />
greater,” he says. “This was almost<br />
always attributed to the way our materials<br />
were built into the finished product. We<br />
started working with the manufacturers<br />
to make sure that the finished shoe had<br />
the same water-repellent and breathable<br />
properties as our membranes. Only those<br />
shoe manufacturers who meet our quality<br />
assurance standards are granted a<br />
license to use our footwear laminate.”<br />
<strong>Gore</strong> also works closely with end-users<br />
to ensure that their needs are met.<br />
<strong>Gore</strong> associate Michael Haag recalls<br />
one notable example—a partnership<br />
with Swiss Railways in the mid-1990s<br />
that helped cut down on injuries and<br />
employee absences.<br />
“At the time, the number of accidents<br />
per 100 employees at Swiss Railways<br />
had reached 13.8—this was significantly<br />
higher than the accident rate of the<br />
American railways or British Rail,” he says.<br />
“As a result, Swiss Railways decided to<br />
equip those who worked in particularly<br />
dangerous areas with safety boots. Their<br />
goal was to reduce the number of working<br />
days lost due to foot or leg injuries by<br />
50 percent within two years. In order to win<br />
over those employees who weren’t happy<br />
about the idea of wearing safety boots<br />
and to determine the exact requirements<br />
of the boots, we conducted trials with<br />
employees. After two years, the goal<br />
had been accomplished—half as many<br />
work days were lost. This prompted the<br />
German and Austrian railways to procure<br />
similar footwear for their employees.”<br />
Looking Ahead<br />
The technical footwear business is<br />
working to develop new technologies in<br />
all three of its product classes. “We’ve<br />
accomplished a lot during the past two<br />
decades, and we are extremely optimistic<br />
about the future,” Günter says. “We<br />
have established long-term partnerships<br />
with many of Europe’s top footwear<br />
manufacturers. People throughout<br />
Europe in a variety of industries trust our<br />
technology to keep their feet comfortable<br />
and protected. We look forward to<br />
building upon these relationships, as<br />
well as expanding into new markets.”