Success Stories
2002 U.S. Olympic Bobsled Shoe | Nike, Inc. "Shox®"
Nike engineers faced a major challenge when, in 2001, they were given the task of selecting a light weight polymer that would provide high mechanical properties at low temperatures for the sole of the 2002 U.S. Winter Olympic Bobsled shoe.
"Whenever we have a high caliber project our first choice is always Pebax®. There was no question that Pebax® was the best quality compound plastic for these shoes. Achievements far surpassed even our highest expectations."
-- Tobie Hatfield, Senior Project Engineer at Nike, Inc.
Nike immediately selected the Technical Polymers Group of Arkema to provide the high mechanical properties needed for low temperatures. The Technical Polymers Global Sports Team worked closely with Nike in a very short time frame to develop the solution which involved Pebax® Resins.
With a unique combination of chemical properties, Pebax® Resins, an advanced plastic engineered for high-performance athletic footwear, provide controlled flexibility to govern the movement of the shoe and return it to its original shape at each stride. The remarkable processing performance made Pebax® Resin an ideal material for the bobsled shoe, which required greater flexibility for extensive range.
The results far exceeded even Nike's highest expectations. These shoes reacted well under the extreme winter temperatures and the U.S. Bobsled team went on to win gold for the women and bronze for the men.
In addition to being an invaluable partner to the shoe industry, Pebax® Resins find many varied applications in such diverse sectors as sports goods, fashion, medical equipment, cars, electrical and electronics components, domestic appliances, machine tools, agricultural implements and toys.
For more information, call 1-800-225-7788.
| 
Twitter
Facebook
