Fortex Te Mahi Matua: Hū Mahi nā Vincent Blais

Ko te hoahoa Fortex Te Mahi Matua: Hū Mahi nā Vincent Blais he kaitoa whakahirahira o te 2026 A' Design Award Hiriwa i te Wāhanga Whakataetae Hoahoa Kākahu Haumaru me ngā Taputapu Tiaki Tinana.

HiriwaTaputapu Tiaki· 2026

Fortex Te Mahi Matua: Hū Mahi

nā Vincent Blais

Kiritaki: Royer

Kaitoa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa i te Wāhanga Taputapu Tiaki

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Kaitoa Tohu Manatokohia

Manatokohia te Tūnga Tohu mō #182037

Torohia te Pae Tirohia i te A' Design Award Pānui Pāpāho Tohu Tohu

Ngā Tae

Te Hoahoa

Mō Fortex Te Mahi Matua: Hū Mahi

Ko Fortex he hū haumaru pupuri wai i hangaia mō ngā taiao ahumahi tūraru nui e pā ana ki te whakaputanga matū, ngā mōrearea whitinga, me te taumaha miihini. Ko tōna auahatanga he tukanga whakauru matū e hono ana i ngā wāhanga polyurethane thermoplastic ki tētahi tūāpapa polyurethane kua werohia, e hanga ana i tētahi hanganga kotahi kaua he pūhono. Kei roto i ngā huānga kua whakaurua he kaitiaki metatarsal, he tiaki tapakau taha, me tētahi kaipupuri rekereke kua whakakahangia. Ka whakaratohia e te hoahoa te ātete ki te wai, ngā matū, ngā hydrocarbon, te weronga, me te paheke, i te wā e māmā tonu ana, e ergonomic ana, e whai hua ana i te wera.

Te Whakamihi

Mō te A' Design Award Hiriwa

Ko Fortex Te Mahi Matua: Hū Mahi te toa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa taumata teitei rawa, ātaahua me te whakamīharo. Ko ngā toa Hiriwa he mahi tino kanapa, tino auaha e whakaatu ana i te mātanga, te pūmanawa me te mōhio hōhonu o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Fortex Te Mahi Matua: Hū Mahi he mahi whakamīharo, he tauira, he tino ngaio, he auaha hōhonu. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Hiriwa he hanganga rongonui, whakamīharotia e whai wāhi ana ki te whakawhānui i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ko Fortex Te Mahi Matua: Hū Mahi he mahi e hae ana te tini, e whakaara ana i ngā hiahia, e kawe mai ana i ngā kare-ā-roto pai, ā, e whakaoho ana i te mīharo.

I Muri i te Hoahoa

Kete Pāpāho

Ngā whakamihi, ngā mema o te rōpū me ngā taipitopito hangarau i whakaratohia e te kaihoahoa.

Āhuatanga Motuhake: Engineered to redefine industrial performance, this boot features a quad-density co-injection system fusing PU and TPU into one seamless chassis. Anatomically mapped zones deliver lightweight shock absorption and targeted protection at key impact areas. A rigid heel stabilizes the foot on uneven terrain, while specialized outsoles ensure grip in extreme conditions. Cement-free bonding forms a waterproof, monolithic structure built for lasting durability and safety.
Inenga & Pēketanga: Product Dimensions (1 boot, size 42): 310 mm x 120 mm x 400 mm (height)
Package: 510 mm x 355 mm x 140 mm
Tūtohu: Co-injected Footwear, TPU Reinforcement, Polyurethane Safety Boot, Cold Weather Protection, Ankle protection, Metatarsal Protection, Industrial Design, Injection Molding Innovation, Chemical Bonding, Work Boot
Hangarau Whakanao: This safety boot is engineered through co-injection molding, chemically bonding high-density TPU reinforcement with a lightweight PU core to form a seamless, monolithic structure free from adhesives and delamination. Developed for sub-zero climates, the TPU formulation maintains elasticity at -40°C, ensuring impact resistance without brittleness. Precision tooling guarantees exact reinforcement placement, delivering targeted protection, thermal stability, and durability without added bulk.
Wero Hoahoa: The principal challenge was achieving reliable co-molding between TPU and a PU base, ensuring sufficient bonding strength in the metatarsal insert located within the boot’s primary flex zone. This required rethinking rotary-injection machine & tooling: a system allowing a pre-molded TPU insert to seat in an articulated receiver moving in frontal-transverse planes before mold closure and PU injection. Constraints included production feasibility, material behavior, wearer comfort and international safety standard requirements.
Rangahau: This applied industrial research explored polymer chemistry and precision engineering to eliminate adhesion failure and cold embrittlement in safety footwear. Using iterative prototyping and destructive testing, high-density TPU was co-injected with a cellular PU core to form a monolithic structure. Hundreds of bonding and sub-zero wear tests led to a cement-free boot with permanent molecular fusion, zero delamination, and full CSA, ASTM, and EN/ISO compliance.
Whakaaweawe: This project merges heritage craftsmanship with advanced material science, transforming traditional footwear into an integrated high-performance system with protection embedded in its structural DNA. Inspired by biological exoskeletons, it acts as both protective shell and load-bearing frame. Rib-cage inspired arch geometry in the metatarsal zone disperses impact while preserving flexibility, creating a biomimetic system balancing safety and ergonomic performance.
Roanga o te Kaupapa: Designing started in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada in Dec. 2023. Engineering started in Legnaro, Padova, Italy in September 2024 with GGS, an elite Italian mold-making partner lead by M. Roberto Gobbato.
Rerenga Mahi: This safety boot functions as a flexible exoskeleton, flexing at the forefoot while stabilizing the heel. TPU reinforcements shield the metatarsal area and ankle from impact without limiting movement. Unlike cemented footwear, its PU and TPU components are co-injected and chemically fused into a single monolithic structure, eliminating delamination. Built for harsh industrial and cold environments, it delivers long-term durability, reliability, and consistent performance.
Pātene: Protective Toecap & Puncture-resistant Sole
(CSA Z195-14) Certified grade 1 protective toecap that withstands impacts up to 125 joules and certified puncture-resistant sole that withstands at least 1200 Newtons (270pounds)

Electric-shock Protection
(CSA Z195-14) Certified electric-shock protection (18 kV / 60 Hz / 1 minute)

Metatarsal Protection
(CSA Z195-14) Certified metatarsal protection that can withstand impacts up to 101.7 joules

Protective Toecap Impact and Compression Resistance
(ASTM F2413-24) Certified protective toecap that can withstand an impact of 75 ft-lbf (~100 Nm) and a compression of 2500lbs (~1135KG).

Puncture-resistant Sole
(ASTM F2413-24) Certified puncture-resistant sole that can withstand a force load of 270 lbf (1200 N)

Metatarsal Protection
(ASTM F2413-24) Certified metatarsal protection that can withstand an impact of 75 ft-lbf (~100 Nm)

Electric Hazard Protection
(ASTM F2413-24) Certified electric-shock protection (18 kV/ 60 Hz / 1 minute)

Slip Resistant Sole
(ASTM F2413-24) Certified slip-resistant footwear with a coefficient of friction (CoF) of no less than 0.40 on dry and wet quarry tile
Ngā Mema o te Rōpū: Footwear Developer/Designer: Vincent Blais
Design Associate: Loïc Girard
Executive Director - Innovation: Francis Lacroix

DEVELOPING PARTNERS:
Equipment and Testing: Felice Scarnera & Benedetto Scarnera from SFB Srl (Italy)
Master Moldmaker: Roberto Gobbato – GGS (Italy)
Material and Chemistry: ELACHEM (Italy)
Int'l team coordinator: Alexandra Dombrovska (Italy)