Gore-Tex are launching a new class of functional products that offer consumers all-round performance.
Alongside the original Gore-Tex product brand, which will remain visible through the well-recognised black-diamond logo, signifying innovative waterproofness and breathability, consumers will have access to an expanded array of jackets, shoes and gloves under the Gore-Tex Infinium product brand, represented by a corresponding white-diamond logo.
While many consumers continue to pursue individual outdoor athletic activities, there has been an increase in people spending more time outside as part of their everyday experience. Products carrying the Gore-Tex Infinium brand helps meet those needs by offering versatile, comfortable apparel that is fit for a wide range of end-uses across more aspects of people’s active lives when waterproofness is not a necessity.
Christian Langer, Global Sales and Marketing Leader in the W. L. Gore & Associates Fabrics Division, said: “Consumers love the Gore-Tex brand because they know they can count on our products to deliver what they promise – the highest performance for specific end uses.
“With Gore-Tex Infinium, we’re utilising the expertise we already have and offering consumers a broader product portfolio with benefits that extend beyond the waterproof category. At the same time, we’re staying true to what consumers expect from us – fabrics innovation.”
Innovation and leadership at Gore stems from its extensive and ongoing research into “comfort science” – the study of how the human body reacts to and feels during different activities, whether it’s walking, cycling, climbing or sailing, combined with changing climatic conditions such as heat, rain or snow.
This research is used to assist in continuing to develop innovative new products.
An example developed out of recent research in comfort science is Gore-Tex Infinium Thermium insulated product technology for footwear.
In the cold weather, women face the dilemma of either wearing stylish shoes and having cold feet, or wearing bulky and unstylish insulated footwear that then cause their feet to overheat once indoors.
Gore-Tex Infinium Thermium solves this problem by offering an extremely low-profile, highly effective insulation – seven times more efficient than a similar amount of loft insulation – that is thin enough that it can be used in everyday footwear.
Moreover, this insulation is applied only where needed – in the toe area. The result is stylish-looking everyday footwear that keeps feet warm outdoors but that don’t overheat inside – a solution that seems almost as impossible as waterproof and breathable fabric did 40 years ago.
Along with Gore-Tex Thermium product technology, Gore will introduce two new fabric technologies, Gore-Tex Infinium Soft-lined and Insulated Fabrics, along with a new glove technology, Gore-Tex Infinium Stretch Gloves, in consumer products available starting this autumn.
