The Cocolok shoes were made of coconut, latex and Bioresin with a wool felt sock. The material was left exposed to go some way to show off it’s beauty.
Coir from the company ENKEV is coco fibre collected from the coconut husk. It is transformed into sheets providing excellent ventilation. The sheets are sprayed with natural latex. The sheets can also be needled to enhance ventilation and resilience and with heat and pressure moulded.
The coir fibre is very tough. It is elastic and strong, and it hardly deteriorates at all over time. The fibre provides good temperature management. It is hygroscopic and so it binds excess humidity.
This material is used for primarily mattresses but some footwear designers and companies are using it for midsole cushioning.
Bioresin was infused on the sides to give structure, trying to keep the cushioning under the foot. A wool felt sock and perforated insole was used next to the foot.
From Enkev website… http://www.enkev.com
Why Natural Fibres?
The human skin is not only a closed surface, but a breathing layer of our body. Through pores and our body hair the temperature of our body is kept under control. From the surface of our skin the humidity will have to evaporate into the air around us. If this process is blocked (by wearing a plastic coat, rubber boots, or sleeping on a synthetic foam) we feel very uncomfortable.
Natural fibres go well with our skin. (cotton shirt, shoes from real leather, wool ticking). The reason is that natural materials always have been part of the air-conditioning of a living thing. They are designed to transport the humidity.
