TPU for footwear
Outsoles, heel counters, toe puffs, overmolding, and transparent soles. Laripur grades chosen for abrasion, flex life, and cold flexibility, from North American stock.
Outsoles, heel counters, toe puffs, overmolding, and transparent soles. Laripur grades chosen for abrasion, flex life, and cold flexibility, from North American stock.
TPU earns its place in footwear on abrasion resistance and flex life. An outsole has to survive thousands of flex cycles and constant scuffing without cracking or wearing through, and TPU does that while still taking bright color and transparent finishes. It also bonds well in overmolding, so it pairs with lighter midsole materials in the same part.
P.A.T. Products has long supplied TPU into footwear manufacturing, and Laripur covers the grades footwear needs, from tough outsole compounds to structural counters and puffs.
Abrasion resistance, grip, and flex life, including transparent and tinted-transparent soles.
Structural stiffeners that hold shape and take heat-activated bonding in the lasting process.
TPU over TPU, EVA, or textile for multi-material soles, logos, and protective overlays.
Films and extruded trim for uppers, welds, and decoration where flexibility and finish matter.
Polyester-based grades give the highest abrasion resistance for the wear surface.
Polyether-based grades keep flexibility in cold weather and resist hydrolysis in wet conditions, for winter and outdoor footwear.
Hardness sets sole stiffness and counter rigidity; specific grades give the clarity needed for transparent soles.
For the chemistry trade-offs, see polyester vs polyether TPU.
These are the Laripur grades COIM names for soles, footwear components or ski boots on their own data sheets. Values are typical properties from those sheets.
| Grade | Chemistry | Hardness | What COIM lists it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laripur 6518 | Plasticized polyester, transparent | 66 A | High flexibility soles, with excellent adhesion to two component PU systems |
| Laripur 8225 | Polyester | 83 A | Sport soles, wheels, screen elements and technical items |
| Laripur 8025 | Polyester | 84 A | Sport soles, wheels, screen elements and technical items |
| Laripur 9025 | Polyester | 90 A | Sport soles, wheels, screen elements and technical items |
| Laripur 5260 | PTMG polyether | 50 D | Ski boots and technical items, with hydrolysis resistance |
| Laripur 5225 | Polyester | 51 D | Technical items, sport soles and cattle tags |
| Laripur 5725 | Polyester | 56 D | Technical items, sport soles and cattle tags |
| Laripur 5760 | PTMG polyether | 56 D | Ski boots and technical items, with hydrolysis resistance |
| Laripur 5925 | Polyester | 59 D | Technical items and footwear components |
| Laripur 6325 | Polyester | 62 D | Technical items and footwear components |
| Laripur 6560 | PTMG polyether | 65 D | Ski boots and technical items, with hydrolysis resistance |
| Laripur 72D25 | Polyester | 67 D | Technical items, footwear components and wheel parts |
| Laripur 71D60 | PTMG polyether | 70 D | Ski boots and technical items, with a published cold impact figure |
Browse the full COIM catalog, or tell us the component and the build and we will confirm the grade.
Tell us the component, the process and the wear duty. We will name the grade, send the data sheet, and ship a sample from North American stock.
Request a SampleTPU takes color well, including transparent and tinted looks. Coloring is done with masterbatch, a solid color concentrate compounded into the resin during molding, which is a different process and finished product than the liquid dispersions we supply for cast PU. We match a target shade and supply the masterbatch or a pre-colored compound. See color matching. Technical Data Sheets and Safety Data Sheets are available for every grade.
Building to the Berry Amendment? Berry compliance attaches to domestically produced components. Our liquid color is matched and produced in the United States, so for the cast polyurethane parts of a footwear build it is a Berry Amendment compliant component. TPU color is masterbatch, and a masterbatch follows the country of origin of its carrier resin, so we confirm that case by case. See Berry Amendment compliant color for footwear.
We hold inventory in North American warehouses and ship across the US, Canada, and Mexico, with samples usually out the same business day. Cross-references from other footwear TPU grades are available on request.
TPU gives outsoles high abrasion resistance, flex-fatigue life, and grip, with the option of transparent or brightly colored soles. It bonds well in overmolding and can be combined with lighter midsole materials, which is why it is common in athletic, work, and safety footwear.
Polyether-based TPU keeps its flexibility at low temperatures and resists hydrolysis, so it is the better choice for winter boots and footwear that sees wet, cold conditions. Polyester grades give the highest abrasion resistance where cold flexibility is less critical.
Yes. TPU is colored with masterbatch, a solid color concentrate let down into the resin during molding, and it takes transparent and tinted-transparent looks well. We match a target color and supply the masterbatch or a pre-colored compound. This is a different process and finished form than the liquid dispersions we supply for cast PU.