Looking Back
A Follow-Up on a NASA Success
Foot Comfort for the Fashionable
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| The cells in Tempur® material are solid with liquid properties, allowing them to conform to body contours. |
Scientists at NASA’s Ames Research Center originally developed temper foam in the early 1970s to relieve the intense pressure of G-forces experienced by astronauts during rocket launches. In the following years, temper foam was used in wheelchairs, football helmets, airplane seats and X-ray table pads. In the 1990s, the foam attracted increased attention when Tempur-Pedic Inc., further developed it for their Tempur-Pedic Swedish Sleep System,™ a line of mattresses and pillows.
Tempur material consists of billions of open, spherical-shaped cells that are viscoelastic, meaning solid with liquid properties. This viscoelastic property, in addition to the foam’s temperature and weight sensitivity, enable the cells to shift position and reorganize to conform to body contours. The material softens in warmer areas where the body makes the most contact with the surface, and remains firmer in cooler areas, where less contact is made. By absorbing and evenly distributing a body’s weight over its surface, the material eliminates uncomfortable pressure points. Modellista’s David Froment, inspired by the comfort of Tempur-Pedic’s mattresses, sought to bring Tempur material to footwear. After acquiring a license from Tempur-Pedic, Froment and his team conducted 22 months of research and development. During that time, they overcame a problem that other shoemakers interested in the Tempur material had failed to solve. Traditionally, steam is used to shape shoes. Since Tempur material’s extreme sensitivity to heat and moisture causes it to deflate upon contact with steam, Froment’s team needed to develop an entirely new process. They devised a way to form the shoes without steam that does not harm the material. Even with this new process, the challenge to protect the material from the effects of hot, sweaty feet remained. To solve that problem, an antibacterial lining was incorporated into the shoe, designed to wick away heat and moisture. Froment’s research ultimately paid off with a colorful line of shoes built on a clog platform.
Froment’s main goal in developing the Modellista line was to design a shoe that provided exceptional comfort without sacrificing style. He noted that all too often, health care professionals and chefs who are on their feet all day resign themselves to less attractive shoes in exchange for comfort. While Modellista offers an industrial line of shoes for these workers, every Modellista shoe provides the same amount of Tempur material padding. The difference in the industrial line is a stain resistant leather upper to protect the shoes against betadine, blood, urine and other damaging elements.
The Modellista collection is the first shoe design and construction to be certified by the Space Awareness Alliance. The shoes, with designs ranging from traditional clog shapes to sling backs and open-toe sandals, are currently available nationwide at select stores and through various catalogs.
NASA Official: Janelle Turner • Web Design: Printing
& Design Office, NASA Headquarters • Credits