Xylitol is a natural sugar substitute that’s been around since the ’60s. You can find it in products like chewing gum, sweeteners — even sinus nasal sprays. But the most incredible use so far has to be its integration into the Louis Garneau Carbon Pro Team shoes.
Xylitol is derived from a number of organic sources — berries, oats, mushrooms, corn husks, sugar cane bagasse, and birch, surprisingly enough. It’s a alcohol-based sugar with endothermic properties. That’s why after chomping down on a piece of Xylitol-spiked gum, you get that cooling feeling — it’s your saliva evaporating.
Now, Ventex, a clothing firm in South Korea, has figured out how to weave Xylitol into fabrics, allowing the same cooling sensation for your sweaty feet as it does for the interior of your mouth. The fabric — sold under the Ice-Fil brand — reacts to moisture and behaves as a refrigerant, converting it into cool air. That helps keep your feet cooler and drier during your ride. The fabric even has some UVA- and UVB- blocking abilities.
You can find this technology in the new Louis Garneau Carbon Pro Team shoes that are coming to market in January. This tech isn’t cheap, mind you. The shoes will retail for $US330. [Gizmag - Wikipedia]
Harvz
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 10:24 PMhow long will it last?
Ozoneocean
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 10:55 PMThat’s what I was thinking. Might be better in socks than shoes.
YellerKitty
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:49 AMCouldn’t one theoretically just mix Xylitol powder into regular foot powder and achieve the same effect? This would also bypass the problem of, “How long does it last?”.
Regarding the ‘socks vs. shoes’ question, presumably shoes get washed less often than socks, so it should last longer in shoes. Disposable socks, however, made from a biodegradable fiber, would do the trick …
Nathan
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 11:06 AMWouldn’t this give false readings to your body and brain about your capacity and potentially cause injury?
Would not really want to interfere with the body’s natural alarm system.