OrthoLite creates world's first and only aerogel-infused open cell pu-foam

OrthoLite unveils O-Therm™ as the ultimate cold-weather footwear solution

AMHERST, Mass. (February 25, 2021) – OrthoLite®, the industry leader of branded, high performance and comfort footwear solutions, unveils OrthoLite O-Therm™, an innovative new thermal insole technology that sets a new standard in cold-weather footwear protection. O-Therm offers all of the known benefits of open-cell PU-foam, while combining the world’s lightest and most insulative cold barrier protection. This technology is only possible with O-Therm’s proprietary aerogel’s unmatched thermal properties and is unrivaled in any other footwear offering. For the consumer, this means your feet will stay warmer, you can stay outdoors longer, feel more comfortable, perform better and go farther in cold weather conditions.

O-Therm is the first and only aerogel-infused, open-cell PU foam. This new technology creates a thermal barrier that blocks the cold and maintains footwear temperature regulation. Using an advanced aerogel, the world’s most insulating material, the proprietary combination of materials in O-Therm delivers unmatched thermal insulation and all-day comfort underfoot for cold-weather protection.

“OrthoLite’s proprietary aerogel is O-Therm’s secret sauce,” explains Rob Falken, Vice President of Innovation at OrthoLite. “Our advanced aerogel traps micro-pockets of air without the need for loft, and it won’t lose its effectiveness when compressed under foot. OrthoLite’s aerogel is unlike any other aerogel solution in that it is nano-porous inside of a multi-porous structure, and that creates a supreme thermal barrier which blocks both cold and heat. In addition, O-Therm’s advanced silica aerogel powder is the lightest man-made material, weighing in at only three times the weight of air,” Falken notes.

O-Therm advanced aerogel is also exceptionally hydrophobic, which means it repels water and moves moisture away from the foot to provide a drier, more comfortable shoe environment. Exclusive to OrthoLite, this proprietary advanced aerogel requires no special handling or encapsulation – a world’s first. 

OrthoLite worked with third-party thermal test laboratory, New York City-based Vartest Laboratories, to quantify the thermal performance of O-Therm aerogel insoles under extreme cold conditions -78°C (-108°F). The third-party test results validate that O-Therm is a breathable thermal barrier that is 54% more effective on average in comparative testing to other thermal insoles when tested at -78°C (-108°F). 

O-Therm retains all of the comfort and performance benefits of OrthoLite open cell PU foam. O-Therm is a 2mm base-layer thermal foam that can be combined with a wide range of OrthoLite top-layer foams to create a custom insole solution tailored to a broad range of footwear categories, including: outdoor, casual, work, ski and snowboard, fashion, and other cold weather footwear categories. The innate thinness and moldability of O-Therm also makes it an ideal thermal barrier solution for footwear linings and strobel layers—bringing unsurpassed cold block technology without adding bulk or weight. 

“We are proud to introduce this new thermal innovation to the footwear industry,” says John Barrett, President of OrthoLite. “We see tremendous potential in the market—in cold weather footwear applications and beyond.”

As a vertically integrated U.S. company with facilities around the world, OrthoLite collaborates with its brand partners to create and produce custom insole formulations that deliver unrivaled comfort and performance. For additional information on the new O-Therm technology, please click here.