HDry is the most advanced technology for waterproofing outdoor products through direct lamination of a waterproof/breathable membrane.
HDry strengthens the technological development that its founders initiated in 2006 when they created the OutDry technology and brand.
They were the very first to introduce the direct, three-dimensional, lamination process of a membrane onto an outdoor shoe upper, thereby winning the prestigious ISPO 'ECO DESIGN – FORM FOLLOW SUSTAINABILITY’ award in 2008.
The ‘HDry’ brand derives from the hydrogen chemical symbol H, coupled with the word ‘Dry’, and signifies the affinity between this technology and water. In fact, HDry technology interacts with water in multiple ways, at times acting as a protective element (from rain, snow or ice), at times as a conduit (allowing sweat to vaporize), all the while sustaining water from an environmental point of view.
The insight that steered HDry's technological development is simple. For many years and to this day, the process by which most waterproof shoes are constructed involves the use of a membrane as a sock-like shaped boot liner (the so-called 'bootie') which is drop in the shoe and separated from the actual upper.
The 'bootie' is simple and cheap to manufacture from an industrial standpoint, but it offers poor performance and has numerous disadvantages. The most serious of these is linked to the fact that water (from rain, snow or a humid environment) can easily penetrate and stagnate in the space between the upper and the membrane. This renders the shoe heavier, limits breathability and thermal insulation, compromising comfort.
Finding a solution to these problems is what inspired the development of the HDry technology. Using HDry technology the membrane is laminated directly to the inner surface of the upper, already sewn, and complete with hooks and eyelets, in a real 3D conformation.
By means of a patented lamination machine, which was derived from the aerospace construction industry, the waterproof membrane is firmly bound to the internal material of the upper, sealing in a single step the materials, the seams, and any other potential points of entry. This ensures that water cannot penetrate the space between the upper and the membrane, and that the shoe always remains light and dry in all weather conditions.
It is important to note that the technological innovation does not reside in the membrane, but rather in the way the shoe is constructed, specifically the process of laminating the membrane to the upper.
The membrane can therefore be chosen according to the type of end-use, using criteria such as performance, efficiency and, above all, sustainability.
