Numerous representatives of the footwear and leather goods industry took the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the activities of the Test and Research Institute Pirmasens (PFI) on the day prior to the HDS/L Symposiums in Düsseldorf. The PFI Information Day, which took place on the premises of the former Böhler Works in Düsseldorf on 30 May, addressed the question: “Footwear 4.0 – how much high tech can footwear tolerate?”
“Long gone the days when fashion was all that mattered. On the contrary. In addition to fashion, it is primarily aspects of functionality and sustainability which determine success or failure of a shoe. Aspects which have been the daily bread of the Test and Research Institute Pirmasens since its foundation in 1956”, as HDS/L Chief Managing Director Manfred Junkert said by way of introduction to an afternoon of interesting talks.
In her talk entitled “Making Quality Visible”, Dr. Kerstin Schulte, Managing Director of PFI, introduced her audience to the manifold activities of the widely acclaimed institute. While testing, research, and certification represent the core activities of PFI, the topics of sustainability and recycling are gaining ever more importance – for example, in the material utilisation of biomass.
The speakers, all staff members of PFI, then addressed the topics “High tech in, on, and around the Shoe”: “The Shoe as a Measuring Device”, “Shoes and Climate”, and “Shoes with Drives”. These scientific contributions clearly demonstrated that the targeted application of high tech not only makes shoes more comfortable and safer but can also make an important contribution to improving and protecting the health of wearers.