Dupont: durable and lightweight safety shoes. Footwear and outerwear manufacturer Yakupoğlu of Ankara, Turkey, uses Dupont Hytrel thermoplastic polyester elastomer and Dupont Zytel nylon to replace the metal eyelets and midsole support in its new durable and lightweight non-metallic safety shoes.

Hytrel was selected for the shoe's eyelets due to its flexibility, even at low temperatures, and its suitability for stitching to the leather upper. By changing to polymer components, Yakupoğlu is able to save weight and manufacturing cost, while prolonging the lifetime of its shoes.

"The availability of an all-polymer safety shoe can be of crucial significance to workers in industries where passing through metal detectors may be part and parcel of their jobs, for example luggage handlers at airports," explains Ismail Harmandar, production manager at Yakupoğlu.

A reduction in the overall weight of the shoes, without impairing safety performance, and the elimination of potential corrosion sources are further benefits to the user.

horst-ulrich.reimer@dupont.com