“From tyres to soles”. MICHELIN-branded soles enter the technical soles market as a new leader bringing innovative added value to the world of footwear. This initiative offers a unique formula to develop exclusive soles in partnership with strategic, high-performance brands, sharing the same values, desire and knowledge to bring innovation and tangible advantages to consumers in different target segments.

Tyres and shoes share the same vocabulary: footprint, sole, tread, rolling, stability, rubber and fabric. It is here that MICHELIN gets in the game by making the latest technologies available and sharing their technical innovations with JV International, the global strategic partner chosen by MICHELIN for the design, development and manufacturing of high-performance MICHELIN-branded soles, thanks to their long experience in technical footwear.

MICHELIN is more than an ingredient brand, but a strategic technological partner to develop high performance soles, linking MICHELIN know-how in “ground contact” with the competence of the partner brand.

MICHELIN PULSAR FOR AKU, THE ULTRA-RELIABLE MULTITERRAIN SOLE

Developed exclusively for AKU, the new MICHELIN Pulsar Technical soles is the product of a close collaboration between a team of skilled footwear specialists. Drawing on MICHELIN’s own extensive ground contact expertise, the MICHELIN Technical Soles designers worked hand-in-glove with AKU management to create an all-round high performance product that adapts easily to all kinds of terrain and conditions, making it a real “must have” for outdoor enthusiasts.

The combination of the MICHELIN Technical Sole and the AKU Elica-Natural Stride System, which accommodates the foot’s anatomy and biomechanics to support the natural inclination of the heel and forefoot, results in more even weight distribution on the sole of the foot both as it lands and pushes off again.

The MICHELIN Pulsar sole was developed to accommodate the Aku Elica- Natural Stride System, with an asymmetric design for ground contact in line with the natural stride axis. It takes its inspiration from the MICHELIN Wild Grip’R Descent mountain bike tyre which itself was developed for downhill cycling on mixed terrain, with progressive lateral grip and a motocross-derived tread pattern. All in all, it’s a good test bench for a sole made to tackle all kinds of ground surfaces, something it can accomplish effectively thanks to deep grooves that boost adaptability to very different kinds of terrain. In addition, the sculptures are positioned in irregular groups to focus on the areas of greatest stress. Smaller and more aggressive sculptures under the big toe deliver progressive traction, while aggressive shoulder sculptures improve lateral traction and stability. Bridge reinforcements also achieve the same for stability and wear resistance. Massive sculptures at the heel boost braking ability. A high distance ratio between the sculptures also facilitates self-cleaning, while two flexion channels make for greater flexibility when the foot is rolling. (more…)