Traction, the word is evocative, and it really means maximum performance in terms of traction.
If we talk about mechanical performance, there is traction in every sole. But if we talk about JV International’s traction technology, we are referring to the balanced combination of compounds that are proposed in the outdoor industry and a tread design that manages, in a balanced manner, to offer the appropriate performance for that specific use.
Furthermore, carefully evaluating the height of the lug is a fundamental point in the construction of an effective sole that guarantees traction. In fact, a 3mm high lug can offer a certain type of traction, a 7mm high lug is like having the teeth of a shark biting into the ground. If we are talking about dry terrain, traction must not be exaggerated, we can have lower lugs, if we are talking about soft or muddy terrain we must have very aggressive lugs.
Getting more specific on the subject of lugs, they don’t work one way. What does this mean? That the sole, when placed on the ground, does not work in only one direction, but provides traction and stability in every direction. In fact, when walking or running in the mountains you don’t walk as straight as you do on a road and when you change direction the sole is stressed much more.
Traction is important in those areas where the terrain is uneven, it is not flat, there is uphill, there is downhill, and of course there the lug must have the freedom to relate to the terrain and consequently the lug module must be sufficiently free in terms of spacing to work on the terrain, be it rock, grass, earth, mud or sand.
Giustiano Peruzzo
But what specifically gave rise to this technology?
By observing what happens in different off-road environments and carefully analysing Michelin’s experience in this area, traction was born. Specifically, by observing all those activities where the tyre is highly stressed, in particular on uneven terrain, i.e. the worlds of rally, enduro, motocross and MTB, the language and behaviour of the tyre on these surfaces was studied in order to adapt it to the needs of the sole.
Traction is a real equation made up of:
1. All its ingredients, i.e. the compounds intended purely for the outdoor world
2. The logic behind the construction of the lugs and modules, their distribution on the sole, and careful listening to the needs required in these activities.
We have thus created the DNA of traction technology
Giustiano Peruzzo
But what are the main features of this sole technology for outdoor footwear?
1. Stability
2. Support
3. Adherence
4. Grip
5. Durability
6. Self-cleaning
But one of the most important aspects is that traction remains constant throughout the practice. To achieve this, it is necessary to balance the distribution of the sculpture correctly, because in order to have an exactly constant performance, it is also necessary to have good self-cleaning.
But let’s look at a concrete application to explore this specific feature:
When running on soft ground, such as particularly soft grass, it is easy for clods of earth to rise up during strides. A good distribution of the lug ensures both a very high degree of traction and that the debris is automatically removed from the sole, i.e. the phenomenon of self-cleaning occurs. This allows the same degree of traction to be maintained over time.
But traction is not only used for soles dedicated to outdoor footwear, it has also been used in different fields, among these we can find skateboarding and in particular a project developed in collaboration with Etnies.
Marana, the Etnies model developed in collaboration with JVI-solesbyMICHELIN
The partner’s requirement in this case was: ‘We want a sole where the upper is pierced but the sole is still usable.”
Giustiano Peruzzo
Based on this assumption and context of use, this shoe was developed for pro-riders. In the world of skateboarding there is a very high need for traction, as all the tricks and stunts that are performed require a very high degree of control over the board, so traction, in this case, becomes synonymous with control.
And we speak of control both when they are on the board and when the skaters push with their foot on the ground to pick up speed. Analysing, therefore, this context of use in the urban context, the work of JV International has been to project the traction characteristics of outdoor use into the urban context. And this allows us to understand how this technology is extremely versatile and flexible.
If you’ve been intrigued by this article, you’ll have to wait for the next traction-themed episode to discover other areas of use for this innovative technology!
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