Footwear glossary · Construction
What is injection-moulded footwear?
Injection moulding (IP/PU)
Injection moulding forms the outsole directly onto the lasted upper: molten PVC, TPR or PU is injected into a mould around the shoe, bonding sole to upper as it cools. It is fast, consistent and ideal for high-volume sandals, boots and safety shoes.
In direct injection the prepared upper is placed in a mould and liquefied sole material (PVC, TPR or two-density PU) is injected and cures in place, mechanically and chemically locking to the upper — no separate gluing step.
It delivers very consistent quality, watertight sole-to-upper joints and high output per mould, which is why it is common for sandals, rain boots, work and safety footwear. The main cost is tooling: each sole design needs its own mould.
DOING develops dedicated injection moulds (drawings → 3D last → trial mould → final mould) and runs single- and dual-density PU for comfort and durability.
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