BASF and footwear design house Maddy Plant have collaborated to explore the possibilities of BASF’s innovative material solutions and use industry-leading technologies that enable energy-efficient production, for its concept athleisure shoe ‘MADGAMMA – Intertekk Saturn’.

“The concept shoe features our winning ideas to make footwear sustainable and at the same time high performing. Our ambition is to bring these advanced technologies into mainstream footwear production”, said Minli Zhao, Vice President, Consumer Industry, Asia Pacific, BASF Performance Materials.

Key features of the MADGAMMA – Intertekk Saturn
Upper of the shoe made with the 100 % recyclable monofilament fibre Freeflex™ thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU): Freeflex conforms to the foot using minimal seams and stitch lines to provide superior comfort and maximum performance. It is also lightweight. Additionally, its transparency enables design flexibility.

Tongue of the shoe made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibre knitted with Freeflex TPU elastic fibre: Freeflex TPU elastic fibre is used as an alternative to dry spandex for its soft stretch performance. It is eco-friendly as it is made without organic solvents and uses cost-efficient manufacturing processes.

Replaceable midsole made with the lightweight, high-rebound, and bio-based Elastopan® N polyurethane (PU) series: Compared to conventional midsoles, the PU is made with bio-circular material, providing superior cushioning and durability while being more sustainable. Another replaceable midsole option is made with TPU foaming, which has a lower density, high energy return, and is recyclable. With the replaceable midsoles, users can choose a midsole for different occasions – the lightweight and high-rebound Elastopan midsole for sports performance or the TPU foaming midsole for casual wear.

Shank of the shoe made with biobased Elastollan N TPU series comprising 35 % bio-content: Elastollan provides great stiffness and complements high-performance sport shoe components such as the torsion system for improved stability.

Outsole and cage made with biobased Elastopan PU: The outsole made with Elastopan incorporates a high-grip tread pattern to optimize traction and provide maximum surface contact. The high-performance material also consists of 30 % bio-content.

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