Close-up of GORE-TEX EXTRAGUARD Shoe in mud puddle

    EXTRAGUARD UPPER TECHNOLOGY

    EXTRAGUARD upper technology enables lightweight, quick re-drying footwear for workwear, police and defence. Staying lightweight in all conditions, this footwear technology fuses functional features for comfort and robust protection.

    KEY BENEFITS

    EXPLORE THE HIGH-LEVEL BENEFITS OF THIS UPPER TECHNOLOGY

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    For daily work, when dry, the robust and abrasion-resistant upper material construction is 40 percent lighter than leather.

    Due to the low water absorption construction, the upper offers lasting lightness in wet conditions.

    The upper hardly absorbs any moisture from the outside even after extensive use or loss of the water repellent finish.

    The upper allows significantly faster drying time compared with conventional uppers for professional footwear.

    The EXTRAGUARD upper material is easy to clean and does not require specific care products as needed for other conventional uppers.

    External moisture cannot penetrate beyond the low water absorption construction layer. The result: reduced conductive heat loss, feet stay dry and comfortable when out in the field.

    Designed for the harshest work environments, EXTRAGUARD upper technology offers robust protection, even after months of use or constant wear in challenging wet conditions.

    The EXTRAGUARD upper provides flame protection according to DIN EN 15090 *for Police application

    NEW UPPER TECHNOLOGY: EXTREME ROBUSTNESS COMBINED WITH LASTING LIGHTWEIGHT

    From police officers, electric utility workers or armed forces, professional footwear needs more than robustness, it must be lighter, more comfortable and suited even when it comes to extreme wet conditions.

    Working in a range of terrains, weather conditions and intensities, many professions’ footwear, worn daily, needs uncompromising versatility. Tackling this dilemma the innovative EXTRAGUARD upper technology steps into the future of protective upper technology for GORE-TEX police, safety and combat footwear. Combining lasting lightweight, low water absorption and a quick redrying time into a robust three layer upper technology, the trade-off of comfort or protection is reversed to a fusion of comfort and protection.

    Step towards the future of protective upper technology. Lightweight, staying light when wet, and re-drying quickly, professional footwear technology for defence, police and workwear applications.

    IDEAL FOR
    LAB & COMFORT TESTING
    The image shows a graph of the weight increase of professional shoes in wet conditions. Compared to conventional professsional footwear, GORE-TEX  professional footwear  with Extraguard upper will absorb only minimal moisture.
    *Artificially aged to replicate 2-3 months of wear

    Stays lightweight when wet

    Compared with conventional professional footwear GORE-TEX footwear engineered with EXTRAGUARD upper technology has very low water absorption, gaining almost no weight when wet- confirmed by the water bucket test.

    Gore static water bucket test: Boots are submerged at a minimum/at least of 10 cm water level depending on boot style

    The image shows a infrared image demonstrating that the heat loss of a wet leather boot is significantly higher than that of a wet GORE-TEX EXTRAGUARD boot.

    Reduced heat loss when wet

    REDUCED HEAT LOSS WHEN WET The conductive heat loss from a GORE-TEX professional shoe with EXTRAGUARD upper technology (shoe on the right) is considerably less than any identical leather version. The feet stay dry and comfortable.

    EXTRAGUARD UPPER MATERIAL AND SUSTAINABILITY

    W. L. Gore & Associates is committed to continuously improving the environmental impact of its products without compromising on durable performance. Thus, all new product technologies need to support the sustainability strategy, for example by selecting sustainable materials, reducing manufacturing waste or using simpler transport solutions.

    The EXTRAGUARD upper is a great example due to its robust and durable performance, prolonging product life. This is confirmed by a variety of tests carried out under laboratory and real-life conditions. The material also sets new standards in terms of the low environmental impact of its production, using few resources and minimizing CO2 emissions.