Bulletin of
Vitebsk State
Technological
University

Abstract

The modern range of shoes is characterized by a variety of materials used, including those for shoe soles. However, the existing regulatory framework, developed in the 1970s, applies to rubbers, which is currently not entirely relevant due to the use of a variety of materials for shoe soles. The most popular are thermoplastics, polyurethane, thermopolyurethane and other materials. Rubber is of little use as soles for everyday shoes and is mainly used for work shoes. It would seem that the development of new, improved materials should eliminate shoe defects, but the literature analysis indicates that the problems of shoe failure due to defects in the bottom remain relevant to this day.

Since shoe soles in most cases are supplied to shoe companies in ready-made form, there is a need for special control of these parts. After all, the sole is an integral component of a shoe. This part is subjected to heavy loads such as compression, stretching and bending, all of which occur in conjunction with abrasion, which in turn can lead to shoe failures due to the appearance of defects such as scuffs (holes) and cracks. They are the main reasons for shoe returns. Therefore, there is a need for a thorough study of soles before launching their production using laboratory installations that simulate the operational effects on the sole to some extent.

The purpose of the study is to substantiate the criteria for the quality of shoe soles and evaluate them on a desirability scale. The article provides a literature review on the problem under consideration and suggests criteria for assessing the quality of modern shoe soles. Desirability scales are proposed for indicators of abrasion resistance and resistance to repeated bending, as well as desirability functions. The soles under study were evaluated according to the proposed desirability scale.

Criteria for assessing the quality of thermoelastoplastic soles