FOCUS ON

THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE MEMBRANE

For the Geyser travel sneaker the Barcelona-based brand Tropicfeel chooses HDry, the waterproof and breathable fabric technology of mountaineering records

HDry is a well known technology in the world of outdoor and super-technical mountaineering footwear. It has been chosen by Scarpa for the award-winning Ribelle models and integrated into the high-altitude Phantom boot, used by the Nepalese climber Nimsdai Purja to smash the record for climbing all the 14 world’s 8,000-meter-high mountains in less than seven months and to complete the first winter ascent of K2 in 2021. The uniqueness of HDry technology compared to traditional membranes for shoes lies in the specific 3D direct lamination process of the lamination, which is the ‘micro-point’ adhesion of the membrane to the inner side of the upper. Hooks and hinges are used, assembled and sewn. By now it is estimated that nearly one million technical footwear are equipped each year with HDry, and now also the sneaker world is intrigued by it. “It is not so surprise that this technology is highly valued even for products where stylistic research is a priority. HDry not only offers very high performance, but it has a more refined approach in terms of construction, and does not interfere with the design of the product. The few micron thickness of the HDry membrane are fused with the upper and then hidden by the lining, whose material can thus be chosen freely, e.g. also wool or leather. This is a great advantage because it makes footwear waterproof and breathable in a completely unobtrusive way. To use a metaphor, it is a bit like four-wheel drive on a luxury car: you don’t see it and, in the city, you tend to forget it, but when you arrive in the mountains on the snow you are very happy to have it,” says Matteo Morlacchi. It was precisely because of this functional extension that the Barcelona brand Tropicfeel chose the HDry technology for its Geyser travel sneaker. The upper stretch laminated with HDry membrane is combined with a merino wool lining to maximize breathability and warmth. Tropicfeel, which sells its products on crowdfunding platform to minimize stocks of materials and finished products, pays great attention to the sustainability of its products, and for this reason it chose the b5 (biobased) version of the membrane, which, however, is ptfe-free, pfcs-free and OEKO-TEX certified in all available options. Today at the helm of the company that owns HDry, Altexa, there is Matteo Morlacchi, an engineer with a long experience in technical and protective fabrics for sport sector, who created and developed the Loro Piana “Storm System” product line and was one of the founders of Outdry, then sold to American Columbia.