Membrane shoes
A few years ago, the concept of "membrane" was familiar only to professional athletes: climbers or skiers, for whom it was important to keep warm at extremely low temperatures and take care of proper air circulation inside the shoe.
The concept of "membrane" means a thin, often porous material that is located between the outer layer of the shoe and its inner lining, acting as a kind of barrier against the ingress of water and a thermostat - the membrane provides a constant temperature inside the shoe about +31 degrees.
Types of membranes
There are several types of membranes - unique in their properties, modern material, which we will discuss in this section:
- The economy segment membrane is the cheapest intermediate material that sometimes fulfills its intended purpose only by half. The fact is that the production of the membrane is an expensive process, and the cheapening is due to cheaper materials and the method of connecting the membrane with the basic materials by the sewing method, because of which the membrane acquires pinholes from the needle and loses its qualitative properties;
- The leader among the unique component is GORE-TEX® membrane material of the American manufacturer, which was originally intended for astronauts. The GORE-TEX® membrane consists of micropores, which are responsible for the proper "breathing" of the foot and the removal of excess moisture - steam and sweat, but do not allow outside dirt, slush and water inside the shoe.
- Known among consumers is a German-made SympaTex® membrane, which has no pores on its surface and works by changing the temperature regime in the material itself.
- Global manufacturers of practical shoes create their own patented membranes, used exclusively in shoes of a certain brand: Jog Dog with BIOMETEX membrane, Alyaska - ALASKATEX, Skandia - SKANDIATEX.
Models
Membrane shoes are available for adults and for children, regardless of the age or foot size of a particular person: there are models of the smallest sizes (from 19 sizes produced by the brands Alyaska Original, Zebra, Kuoma) and large (up to 42 female and 47 male sizes) among Kuoma models , rieker, Ecco, Alaska and others.
Mostly, there are models of shoes with a “sport” membrane or in casual style - these are low shoes with a tread or \ and cast sole with laces, most often external artificial materials are used to create shoes, inside they also often use synthetic analogues of wool and fur to avoid overheating legs and her excessive sweating.
Reviews
Much has been said and written about membrane materials; Consumers sometimes cannot choose to buy shoes with or without a membrane, as manufacturers continually include this material as an intermediate layer of their shoes.
Most consumers are delighted with the membrane - the shoes with it do not get wet and are very warm, in general, ideal shoes for modern winter - slushy, dirty and “slippery”. Others are frustrated with the membrane: “it gets wet”, “the legs sweat too much”; consumers may have chosen cheap membrane materials of unsatisfactory quality.