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Insoles without shanks
To ensure stability and durability even for bold, creative footwear*, we have recently collaborated with Kiefer von Zoe®, to invent an innovative manufacturing system that makes it possible to eliminate the steel shank from our insoles.
Perfect for men’s and women’s shoes, including high heels, this solution has been verified by durability tests carried out at CIMAC, and by a large sample of women of different ages, weights, heights and lifestyles, who all wore 100 mm high heel pumps without steel shanks for over 8 months, noting the following aspects:
To ensure stability and durability even for bold, creative footwear*, we have recently collaborated with Kiefer von Zoe®, to invent an innovative manufacturing system that makes it possible to eliminate the steel shank from our insoles.
Perfect for men’s and women’s shoes, including high heels, this solution has been verified by durability tests carried out at CIMAC, and by a large sample of women of different ages, weights, heights and lifestyles, who all wore 100 mm high heel pumps without steel shanks for over 8 months, noting the following aspects:
1
The shoes are lighter: considering how many steps were taken, those who wore shank-less shoes noted less muscle fatigue. In fact, NPU Green insoles without steel shanks weigh 30% less than similar insoles in traditional materials and a steel shank
2
The shoes don’t set off metal detectors, so they don’t need to be removed to pass through them. Those who travel often by plane will certainly see their benefit, as will (perhaps even more so) those whose professions involve frequent visits to courthouses, state institutions and anywhere else that metal detectors are present
3
The shoes provide a sense of stability: walking, especially in high heels, puts stress on the back of the shoe (the waist), especially crosswise. An insole made of NPU Green provides greater latitudinal stability and rigidity than traditional materials, even without a steel shank, since the latter contributes much more to the longitudinal resistance of the insole.
What other benefits are there to removing steel shanks from insoles?
4
Our insoles avoid the problem of the placement and bulk of the shank, making it possible to attach the heel in just about any position
5
The insoles aren’t subjected to restrictive regulations, such as China’s GB 28011 (and subsequent modifications), as they exclusively cover shanks and not the insoles that contain them
6
Because they are thinner, the insoles don’t have the classic curvature that creates problems for heels, becoming the perfect base for the foot and shoe. It is no longer necessary to excessively roughen up the sole: insoles without a steel shank save time and create a smoother, cleaner base for the shoe
7
Insoles without steel shanks also generate savings in terms of the environment: there is no need to use the materials or the energy required to produce the shank and attach it to the insole. Once they’ve reached end-of-life, shank-free insoles also have less environmental impact
* for example, women’s shoes with a platform or those with very short, narrow heels, often mounted at the very back of the insole and/or with threaded inserts, a placement impossible to reach with steel shanks.