GORE-TEX® EXTRAGUARD PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY ESTABLISHES ITSELF IN THE MARKET: TEN MANUFACTURERS PRESENT SAFETY BOOTS WITH THE INNOVATIVE UPPER MATERIAL AT A+A

With its EXTRAGUARD upper technology, the GORE-TEX® Brand now combines the advantages of conventional robust upper materials with those of lightweight textiles—thus paving the way for more protection and comfort while also requiring minimal maintenance. EXTRAGUARD upper technology is suitable for the toughest workplace environments and offers robust and comfortable protection even after months of use or continual wear in demanding and wet working conditions.

“Workers in the construction, demolition, railway, utility, agricultural, electric power and water supply sectors benefit from our innovative upper technology—all the sectors in which people carry out heavy and labour-intensive work and need robust, durably protective, lightweight and comfortable safety boots they can really trust,” explains Johannes Krieg, footwear product specialist for the GORE-TEX® Brand.

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Lightweight and robust

When dry, the EXTRAGUARD upper material is 40 percent lighter than conventional materials. Yet, there is more to it than that. It hardly absorbs any moisture so that even when worn for hours in wet conditions boots stay light and dry considerably faster. After months of use and in wet conditions, when the initial water repellent finish of conventional safety boots would long have worn off, footwear incorporating the EXTRAGUARD upper material continues to offer enduring waterproof protection. This is made possible by a three-layer construction involving a highly abrasion resistant outer layer, a customisable functional layer to protect against impact and compression and the innovative inner layer of the construction that can be sealed with GORE® Seam Tape. Boots continue to be waterproof and comfortable after months of intense use – even in the toughest working and weather conditions. And should the situation arise, GORE-TEX® EXTRAGUARD safety boots are also resistant to chemicals.

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Fitness for everyday use demonstrated in Deutsche Bahn wearer trial

How good is the new technology? In a wearer trail conducted by Deutsche Bahn 19 employees performing tree and vegetation inspections, supervising safety, and managing services tested the HAIX Airpower XR27 safety boots with GORE-TEX® EXTRAGUARD product technology for six months. The boots were worn four or five days a week for between six and nine hours a day – indoors and outdoors, in all weathers and on difficult, uneven surfaces. Nearly all the test participants expressed their satisfaction with the robustness and re-dry performance while over half of them also emphasised the light weight—especially when the boots were wet. The easy maintenance also made an impression.

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Comfort without compromises

GORE-TEX® EXTRAGUARD boots need no breaking in and are comfortable right from the start. Additional reinforcements are unnecessary, further benefiting weight and breathability. Colours do not fade, not even after extended use, while the material barely shows any signs of wear. The boots also ensure that feet stay durably dry and comfortably warm. Water can neither penetrate from the outside nor can it seep between the layers of the material, preventing the feet from being robbed of warmth.