One Mold, No Adhesives: framas’ Co-Molded Full Bottom Unit

A traditional sole assembly involves several parts joined with adhesives – often solvent-based – across multiple preparation, priming and bonding steps. It adds cost, lead time and chemistry that nobody wants in the supply chain.

At framas, the midsole can be directly casted onto an injection-molded TPU outsole already loaded into the casting tool. SMARTLITE® O liquid TPU, developed with Huntsman, is one of the materials framas processes this way, but the same approach accommodates other PU systems. The two parts meet inside a single mold; because they share a chemical affinity, their surfaces bond as the midsole polymerises in situ – held together by chemistry, not glue.

There are no primers to apply, no adhesives to cure, no solvent-based chemistry to manage. The separate bonding station – and the labour and energy that go with it – comes out of the process entirely. What is left is a single-pass full bottom unit: leaner and recyclable by design.

Sometimes progress in footwear is measured not by what is added, but by what is finally removed – and by the room that creates for what comes next.

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