Brief 

Cowboy boots are tough. But that toughness comes with the price of a stiff sole. The soles are traditionally made from thick leather. Modern soles are typically made from thick rubber or PU. Double-H is proud to provide boots with a proprietary outsole compound known as "I.C.E." Soles made with Double-H's I.C.E. compound are notoriously durable, usually outlasting their leather uppers. But these soles are stiff and heavy.

This project targets the valley between heavy duty work boots and casual boots. By creating an I.C.E. outsole that is more flexible and lighter in weight we can provide customers with a more comfortable, light-duty workboot equipped with the dependability and durability of Double-H's I.C.E.

Modern athletic footwear often utilizes EVA/rubber combinations in the sole. Often times the EVA will consist of a portion of the contact surface or there will be windows in the rubber revealing the foam midsole. Just as often, athletic shoes feature geometric-styled tread patterns. 

Reducing the amount of rubber across the width of the sole allows for increased flexibility as well as a reduction in weight. Additionally, the EVA windows showing through the rubber provide visual relief by breaking up what would have been a large, solid-colored mass of rubber. 

The MaxFlex sole is currently found on styles DH5352 and DH2413.

Thanks to David Hoeft, Jon Lebo, Max Liu, & the Synergy team.