LESS NEED OF DWR / PFCs TREATMENTS
HDry patented construction process helps decreasing the use of durable water repellent (DWR) treatments, mainly based on PFCs. In waterproof footwear made with the standard ‘bootie’ system, shoe upper materials are often heavily impregnated with perfluorinated chemical compounds (PFCs) to limit the amount of water that penetrates and stagnates in the space between the shoe’s upper and the membrane.
HDry 3D lamination process features a much more effective use of the waterproof membrane. In fact, the membrane directly to the shoe’s upper material, blocking the water at the outermost layer before it can penetrate the shoe. As it eliminates the possibility of moisture build-up between the outer layer and the membrane, there is no (or much less) need for upper material treatment with PFCs.
Many PFCs, including perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), have been a concern because they do not break down in the environment, can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources, and they build up (bioaccumulate) in fish and wildlife. PFCshave been found in rivers and lakes and in many types of animals on land and in the water.
