In sports footwear, materials play a fundamental role in ensuring
Every phase of movement, from ground impact through to push-off, generates complex stresses that require structural materials capable of delivering consistent performance.
Among the most advanced solutions, glass-fibre reinforced engineering thermoplastics stand out for their excellent balance between structural support, mechanical reliability and creep resistance, contributing to enhanced stability and control during athletic performance.
Characterized by the ability to achieve customized finishes and colorations, Xenia glass-fibre reinforced compounds redefine the concept of performance, enabling the development of technical, durable and aesthetically refined components for winter sports applications such as alpine and Nordic skiing, as well as running and cycling.
XEGLASS®
GLASS-FIBRE REINFORCED THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES
XEGLASS is the range of thermoplastic composites based on long-chain polyamides highly reinforced with glass fibre (up to 65%), developed for applications requiring high stiffness, impact resistance, and reliability.
Compared to conventional short-chain polyamides, long-chain polyamides offer superior dimensional stability thanks to lower moisture absorption, maintaining mechanical properties, geometric precision, and weight even under critical environmental conditions. They also ensure excellent impact resistance and consistent performance across a wide temperature range.
These characteristics make XEGLASS an ideal solution for high-performance structural components where precision and durability are essential requirements.
PROPERTIES
Impact Resistance
The use of long-chain polyamides, characterized by high toughness, combined with glass-fibre reinforcement, provides the material with excellent impact resistance, even at low temperatures.
Stiffness
The high glass fibre content delivers structural rigidity, essential for ensuring control in technical footwear components and supporting motion efficiency.
Reliability
XEGLASS guarantees long-term dimensional stability, with excellent wear resistance even under continuous load conditions.
Colourability
The compound structure allows for coloration, enabling full integration of the material into footwear design without compromising technical performance.
PERFORMANCE COMPARISON
MECHANICAL RESISTANCE
In sports footwear, the ability of materials to withstand continuous and repeated stress is essential to ensure long-term durability and reliability. A higher breaking load enables the material to better absorb the forces generated during movement, helping to preserve the integrity of the component over time.
As shown in the graph, the material reinforced with 50% glass fiber achieves particularly high breaking load values, providing superior structural strength and greater footwear reliability, even during the most demanding and dynamic sporting activities.
IMPACT RESISTANCE
As shown in the graphs, impact resistance improves as the glass fiber content increases, indicating that the higher stiffness does not lead to a reduction in the compound’s toughness. The result is a material well suited for sports applications requiring structural stability and resistance to dynamic loads, with the ability to absorb and dissipate the energy generated by impacts.
This makes it possible to develop components that provide more effective support during propulsion phases, changes of direction, and high-intensity movements, delivering benefits in terms of stability, precision, and long-term durability.
APPLICATIONS
