Experience the interview live on YouTube or read the full transcript here. Find out what makes good cushioning in barefoot shoes!
INTERVIEW BETWEEN DR. CLAUDIA SCHULZ AND CHRISTOF BÄR:
Dr. Claudia Schulz: I see a very special material here. Maybe you can explain what it is. To me, it just looks like a piece of plastic, but I’m sure it’s not.
Christof Bär: No, there’s a lot of development behind it. This is a material we’ve already tested with good results. It was developed for medical technology and is used for replacing intervertebral discs. It has the same properties as the body’s own discs, and we’ll be using it in a product for hiking next year. For a shoe that undergoes heavy use and long periods of stress, in the barefoot sector, you naturally want to maintain ground contact aside from the thin sole. That means we can’t use something thick that cushions and reduces ground contact. Instead, we use something like this material, which is only 2 mm thick but still provides cushioning. It behaves like the body does under heat and stress—it becomes more elastic once it’s broken in, i.e., warmed up by body heat. So this material becomes more flexible, and the cushioning on this small, thin layer still provides the pressure distribution the body needs, for example, when running downhill.
Dr. Claudia Schulz: And this exact material is integrated into the sole?
Christof Bär: That’s right, it’s integrated into the sole, and you don’t feel it, but it still provides puncture protection—which can be useful if you step on a stone. The key point, however, is being able to create cushioning on this thin layer that doesn’t bounce back. This is also joint-friendly, but only to the extent that the body itself would be. So there’s cushioning and a reaction, but in the same way the body would act.
Dr. Claudia Schulz: And this is a new material that will be used in BÄR hiking shoes next year?
Christof Bär: Yes. It’s a more expensive material, developed for medical technology, which is why we’re using it very exclusively in the hiking shoe sector for one specific model. We believe it can offer added value to people with high demands.
Dr. Claudia Schulz: Exactly, as hiking is very popular right now. People love being outdoors in nature, which aligns perfectly with BÄR’s concept. We’ve already talked a lot about barefoot shoes and orthopedic options for relieving back strain. These are topics that concern many people. People are living longer, and physical problems are becoming more common. I wouldn’t say you see yourselves as problem solvers, but rather that I’d describe your shoes as a supportive measure—meaning that with BÄR shoes, you can simply walk better and perhaps with more Pleasure.
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