SoleCooler wins ISPO Award 2023 for Climfeet

To warm feet, there are many ways. Warming socks or insoles that achieve the same effect, for example, battery power. Insoles with cooling effect are also available, of course. What didn’t exist until now, to our knowledge: insoles that warm on one side and cool after turning. The manufacturer SoleCooler has dedicated itself to this topic and has come up with a real innovation. To give it an extra twist and underline the innovative character: Climfeet insoles work through a natural thermodynamic process. Whether warming or cooling the feet, the temperature functions are triggered by foot pressure alone. Sounds like magic? If you approach the subject objectively, it becomes understandable.

It all started for SoleCooler CEO Bruno Aubert in 2018 after a conversation with a friend who worked in a cold storage facility. “I realized that safety shoes, initially for professionals, had practically no thermal capabilities". In fact, after some research, it turned out that no shoe could hold heat for more than 30 minutes, not even hiking and mountain boots. Inventor Aubert wanted to change that. “This is the first time the principle of reversible air conditioning (compression/expansion of air) has been applied to a flexible material less than 6 mm thick, with energy generated only by the pressure of the feet on the ground," says the SoleCooler founder.

The heat-regulating insoles work on mechanical energy alone. As long as you move, the process is triggered. “When you put your foot on the ground, you cause an energy of 10 watts, which is more than enough to trigger the mechanism of the insoles," Aubert said, explaining the chemical thermodynamic process and how Climfeet works. Climfeet insoles therefore use a completely natural process, converting the mechanical energy of our footsteps directly into heat and cold, just like a heat pump, but without electricity or chemicals and therefore without any limit on operating time. Visually, it is easy to distinguish the temperature performances of each side of the Climfeet insole. The red side provides a heat output of up to 4 degrees, while switching to blue cools the feet down to minus 3.5 degrees.

Climfeet offers a contemporary product that takes a sustainable approach. The material is made of silicone. “The production of silicone has nine times less CO₂ pollution than petroleum products," says Aubert, describing the reason for the material selection. Three production sites in Europe. Asia and the USA are also designed to reduce CO₂ emissions during shipping. The concept with regard to sustainability has been thought through to the end: when returning the used product, the end user can pack it in the recyclable PP box provided and simply send it back to the manufacturer.

With its Climfeet product, SoleCooler is targeting all athletes who train on frozen or hot surfaces, people who have cold feet per se (senior citizens, etc.) and the numerous workers in the construction industry or cold stores. With Climfeet, the SoleCooler company wants to provide these people with a product, which will make their daily lives or their respective activities easier. “The advantages of our Climfeet insoles for the end user are mainly the ease of use and the unlimited time of operation, as well as the comfort," says Aubert about the extended qualities of his invention. The advantages for retailers are directly related to the simplicity of use (no defective battery, no waste, etc.), the innovative and environmentally friendly product and SoleCooler’s 2-year warranty. An innovative product that can be sold in addition to a sports shoe.

• Innovative character

• Sustainable concept

• Simple usability

• Usability on both sides