Footwear & Apparel

From Outer Space to Your Inner Space

Our Pyrogel^® and Spaceloft™ materials were born in the mid to late 1990’s when development was initiated for NASA. In the cold dark vacuum of space, maintenance of body temperature is critical, yet spacesuits must be flexible and light to allow for freedom of movement. NASA found or aerogels to be a perfect fit, and so will you.

Unlike all other insulations for footwear and apparel applications that rely on decades old textile, foam or fiber technology, the insulating power of our materials is derived from space age aerogel technology. This technology yields materials with a sub nanoporous lattice structure that has a very high surface area and billions of irregularly shaped pores per unit of material. As such, as noted in the chart above, aerogels have anywhere from two to six times more insulating power than other commonly used materials.

Thin, Lightweight Flexible Materials for Footwear and Apparel

While all other materials rely on high thickness or loft to provide their insulation value, our aerogels do not. Spaceloft and Pyrogel provide higher insulation values at greatly reduced loft.

For example, in order to maintain stylish designs and functional performance, in Footwear applications there is very little space available for insulation, yet most of us are familiar with how quickly cold feet can spoil an outdoor adventure. Our Pyrogel AR5401, a carbon filled aerogel, leads the way in the industry by providing manufacturers with the ability to significantly upgrade the performance of their footwear and cold weather products, while increasing the freedom for design and other functional elements. The carbon also helps absorb odor.

Due to its high insulation efficiency, the Elite Forces of the US Military and The Canadian National Ski Team found that Shock Doctor Hotbed inserts with only 2.5mm of Pyrogel AR5401 provided an unmatched level of warmth and comfort in cold weather events and operations.

These same inserts were also used by renowned fitness expert Sean Burch who noted that they kept his feet comfortable at -35°F, even while wearing just trail shoes during his record setting North Pole Marathon performance.

Further, as shown on the chart below, this high level of performance is not compromised under load:

Note that even under the minimal force of 1 PSI applied in standard thermal testing, popular microfibers can lose up to 75% of their thickness and insulating power, while our aerogel maintains its original thickness.

Compressive loads applied to footwear and apparel during use are significantly higher than 1 PSI, so while other materials begin to falter, you can count on our aerogels to continue to deliver their high insulating power.

Spaceloft™: Space Tech Brought to Earth
	Used EXTENSIVELY in aerospace applications, Spaceloft™ is the warmest insulator in existence: panels only 3mm thick can insulate your body in temperatures as low as 50° below zero. Spaceloft™ is the lightest solid on earth. If left uncontained, Spaceloft™ particles will actually float on air. Engineered to deliver targeted protection to vital areas of you body, The Katana’s liner will help you ride longer, warmer, and more comfortably than any other insulator available.
Burton Ronin_Katana Jacket Straight form NASA to you. Spaceloft™ by Aspen Aerogels insulation is considered by leading technology experts as the best insulation material known to man. Used in Nasa's launch vehicles, Spaceloft™ can hold up under temperatures of minus 50° F — where you would freeze to ice in a damn hurry.

For more information, please visit the Literature Center for the Product Data Sheet and MSDS.