Materials commonly associated with Outsoles : Gum Rubber. Properties Associated : Able to absorb impact. Has anti-slip properties.

There are two types however, the synthetic ones and the natural ones. One being made from nonorganic materials. It gives more longevity and is more tolerant to abrasion. Due to its low hardness, it also improve the resilience of the material to high impact. The material is commonly link to blasting rooms wall signifying its superiority in impact absorbance. However, although much has been praised about the superiority of gum rubber, it does has it limitation as well. In the context of in-court surface, where its is usually parquet floors, the gum rubber outsoles would be able to exhibit such properties. It is definitely not meant for casual wears where it hit the concrete floors. Another factor that contribute mainly to the reason why most outsoles are made from synthetic rubber is the fact that it is easier to produce.

Literature Review of Synthetic Rubber Being a war-born material, synthetic rubber has become a dependent substitute for natural rubber. Its creation was meant to meet the demand of natural rubber production. It is invariantly a polymer, an artificial elastomer synthesised from petroleum by-products. Production of synthetic rubber:

Synthetic Rubber are artificially produced with properties similar to natural rubber. Polymerisation is the key process where these material are being made. Polymerisation takes place under both hot and cold condition which explains the existence of cold & hot polymer. The benefits involving synthetic rubber as compared to natural rubber include better oil and temperature resistance and the possibility of product with an extremely constant quality.

Below are some of the possible synthetic rubbers that were used in the construction of badminton shoe outsole. Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) General Purpose Rubber made up of different types ; better abrasion resistance ; lower elasticity; poorer low temperature behaviour, better heat and aging resistance , excellent electrical insulation material similar to rubber Polybutadiene Rubber (BR) Poor processing properties means that BR is not used on its own, blended with SBR or NR, abrasion resistant, good elasticity, flexible at low temperatures.

Natural Rubber Vs Synthetic Rubber

Li Ning Badminton Shoes Layout

Badminton Shoes
Technology Upper Material: Microfiber synthetic leathers and performance, breathable mesh textiles Sole Material: Outsole: high traction & durability gum rubber/ Midsole: light weight, low profile phylon cushion/ TPU

360-degree ventilation structure, large mesh on the uppers, combined with the grid on the bottom to form the full flow of breathable air, improve athletic comfort.

Located at the front and mid sole to harnesses the foots energy and amplify the power through to the floor, decreases fatigue and offers comfort and propulsion.

Carbon Fiber Plate for lightweight durability in the sole unit, adds spring on takeoff, with strength and support on landing.

High impact cushioned sole offers comfort and protection from impact injuries to the heel and ball of the foot while landing.

High Impact Insert placed in the sole for increased comfort, support and greater durability and reduced of the injury risk.

An anti-torque bar adds stability to the foot by reducing the amount of twist around the bridge of the foot.

Lightweight TuffEVA with high flexibility for the midsole, which increase Compression resistance up to 20-30% than the ordinary EVA, significantly extends the life of the buffer suspension.

X-Form of upper TPU structure reflects the property of Li Ning Product family.

Ultra-resistant synthetic rubber material improved the wear resistance more than 5 times than the ordinary rubber. Anti-Torsion: Re-inforced, multilayered mid sole for minimizing twists and keeping the foot inline to keep on track and focused. REBOUND sole: Cushioned sole for increased comfort. TPU & Mesh: Durable polyurethane material and breathable mesh keep the foot cool and dry.