At the start of the last century, mountain climbers wore what essentially amounted to wooden clogs on their feet. Soon, the first “tricounis” climbing shoe was developed, which featured a leather sole ...

Rubber is a natural substance deriving from trees, but to get it into its useful form, treatment in the form of a process called vulcanization must occur. Vulcanization cures rubber via the method of ...

Silicone rubber comes in solid and liquid types. Both have a similar basic structure, but need different cure and processing methods. Liquid silicone rubber (LSR) is a two-component system containing ...

When it comes to choosing a pair of skate shoes, you've got a ton of choices: the brand, the color, high top, low top, mid top, or slip-on, materials (leather, suede, canvas, nubuck), but most ...

Charles Goodyear’s obsession began one auspicious day in New York. He’d always been a tinkerer and a new “miracle” substance, rubber, had caught his fancy. He’d developed an improved valve for a ...