Pebax and Cleats

We (you) don’t really care what Pebax is… but we would like to know...

1) What use does it have in athletic shoes and cleats? And...

2) Is it better than other alternatives (such as rubber/elastomers, TPU, EVA, etc…)?

This compound might have other applications, but thus far we have only found it as a material for making the outsoles. In running shoes, we usually have Blown Rubber or Carbon Rubber. The blown rubber is lighter and “bouncier”, but less durable. The carbon rubber is heavier, less “bouncy”, but more durable. We don’t think we will ever find any cleats using blown rubber. And therefore, we can be confident that all “rubber” cleats are made from Carbon Rubber. But now, with this stuff, we have an alternative to rubber.

So… this stuff is light, bouncy, flexible and durable. We have found many references claiming that it is the lightest thermoplastic available for shoes and that it is the “perfect” outsole material for athletic shoes. Arkema (owner of the patent) claims, “Choosing and using our compound, will save 20% weight on the plastic components.”

We also believe from what we have read… that it is possible to have different areas of the outsole have different degrees of flexibility. Therefore, we can make the area under the toes harder and less flexible to prevent against Turf Toe, we can make the area around the “balls of the feet” more flexible to allow for a stronger “toe-off”, and we can make the remaining areas under the heel of a medium flexibility. Here is the statement from Arkema, “Maximum strength where you need support, flexibility where you need movement. Pebax® grades can be combined within a single component to provide stiffness at one end, flexibility at the other.”

They also state, “...has the lowest energy loss factor of all thermoplastic elastomers, which means ... has the best energy return and an unbeatable flex fatigue resistance (resistance to solicitations and preservation of properties).”

The above statement basically means the material can be "bouncy" and will continue to be bouncy longer than other alternative mataerials.

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