Footwear designers often turn to Mother Nature for inspiration. Many of the world’s most popular trainers are nature-led in their design and construction. From mimicking how feet move to looking at intricate lattice structures like spider webs, biological designs can teach us a lot when it comes to structural efficiency, adaptability and efficiency.
At Huntsman we apply the same approach to the design of our footwear materials – creating systems that are functional yet high-performing, enable comfort and are optimized so they can work in harmony with the environment. Our latest product line draws inspiration from the extraordinary grip of geckos.
AVALON® GECKO TPU is a new range of innovative, high-performing thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) materials for the footwear industry that offer game-changing possibilities for soling applications.
Developed with exceptional grip, durability and circularity in mind, the range includes three products for high performance soling applications – with injectable and extrudable grades available.
- AVALON® 6044 AG – an opaque, injectable grade that is ideal for safety shoes
- AVALON® 6053 AG – a transparent, extrusion grade optimized for running applications
- AVALON® 6055 AG
Drawing inspiration from the extraordinary grip of geckos, products in the AVALON® GECKO TPU portfolio offer comparable slip performance to rubber in both wet and dry conditions.
The extrudable AVALON® GECKO grade, AVALON® 6053 AG TPU represents a major step forward in footwear – enabling the creation of outsoles that are up to 50% thinner and lighter than conventional outsoles, without compromising quality, performance or durability.
The injectable AVALON® 6044 AG grade has been developed to offer fast cycle times for improved productivity.
In addition, all AVALON® GECKO TPU grades can offer adhesive-free bonding when paired with other TPU midsole materials and, thanks to their compatibility, can be mechanically recycled with minimal impact on material performance*. They can also be easily coloured and engineered to create different textures and surface finishes.
AVALON® Gecko TPU was officially launched at the NW Materials Show in Portland, Oregon at the end of August. For more information go to www.avalon-gecko.com where you can fill out a form to receive more information.
About Huntsman: Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2023 revenues of approximately $6 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 60 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 25 countries and employ approximately 6,000 associates within our continuing operations. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com.
AVALON® is a registered trademark of Huntsman International LLC or an affiliate thereof in one or more, but not all, countries.
© 2024. Huntsman Corporation or an affiliate thereof. All rights reserved.
While all the information and recommendations in this publication are to the best of our knowledge, information and belief accurate at the date of publication, NOTHING HEREIN IS TO BE CONSTRUCTED AS A WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR OTHERWISE. Huntsman warrants only that its products meet the agreed specifications. Typical properties, where stated, are to be considered as representative of current production and should not be treated as specifications. In all cases, it is the responsibility of the user to determine the applicability of such information and recommendations and the suitability of any product for its own particular purpose. The sale of products referred to in this publication is subject to the general terms and conditions of sale of Huntsman International LLC or of its affiliated companies.
