- Material: IXPE foam
- Expansion ratio: 5 times (200 kg/m³), 8 times (125 kg/m³), 10 times (100 kg/m³)
- Thickness: 2 mm, 3 mm (thickness can be customized)
- Shore hardness: 45°–60°
- Colour: white, black (colour can be customized)
Customization
Made to order: density, thickness, colour and shape to your drawing. Die-cutting, CNC routing, lamination to film or fabric, slitting and adhesive coating all run in-house, so the part we quote is a finished part, not just a sheet. How a custom part is cut and routed explains what to send with the drawing.
Regular material: MOQ 1,000 m², lead time 15–20 days from order confirmation. Custom parts are quoted from the drawing. A4 samples are free, shipping included.
Shoe and boot lining foam is the sheet that sits between the upper and the foot, or behind the heel counter, doing two jobs at once: cushioning the foot against the hard structure of the shoe, and holding that structure in shape. Bofeng Foam supplies it in irradiation cross-linked polyethylene, which gives a finer cell than chemically cross-linked foam at the same thin gauge.
Features
- Cushioning without collapse: at Shore 45° to 60° the foam compresses under the foot and recovers, so the lining keeps its cushioning through the life of the shoe rather than packing down.
- Closed-cell, so it does not hold moisture: unlike an open-cell lining the foam will not absorb sweat and stay damp, which is what makes a boot feel cold and smell.
- Shape retention: the foam holds a heel counter or a toe box in shape, so the upper does not crease or sag with wear.
- Very thin gauges: 2 mm and 3 mm, which is what footwear allows without changing the fit of the last.
- Three densities: 5× (200 kg/m³), 8× (125 kg/m³) and 10× (100 kg/m³), to trade firmness against weight.
- Easy to die-cut: the sheet cuts cleanly at high volume, in white or black or to a specified colour.
Applications
- Athletic and running shoes – lining and heel counter
- Casual and leather footwear
- Outdoor and hiking boots, where shape retention under load matters most
- Children's shoes
- Safety and work footwear
- Orthopaedic and custom insoles
Specifications for shoe and boot lining foam
Shoe lining foam has to breathe against a foot, hold its shape and survive repeated flexing.
| Foam | Expansion | Apparent density | Single-layer thickness | Why this grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IXPE | 25–35× | 28.6–40 kg/m³ | 0.1–15 mm | Fine cell structure and flexibility in thin gauges, which is what a shoe lining needs. |
| XPE | 15–25× | 40–66.7 kg/m³ | 3–15 mm | Firmer grade for a structural counter or a tongue insert. |
Base material specifications are on the XPE, IXPE and IXPP material pages; finished products are on the XPE foam and IXPE foam pages. Tell us the load, the space available and the service temperature and we will confirm the grade against your drawing.
Why Choose Bofeng Foam
We supply the IXPE at 5×, 8× or 10× foaming in 2 mm and 3 mm, at Shore hardness 45° to 60°, in white or black with colour made to order, and cut to shape on request. The same sheet is used for clothing and hat lining, and the material specification is on the IXPE foam page. For the footbed itself rather than the lining, see athletic insole foam.
The comparison of the three materials a lining is usually chosen between — XPE, EPE and EVA — is in our XPE versus EPE versus EVA comparison.
Conclusion & Inquiry
Send the lining pattern, the required thickness and the hardness you are working to, and we will confirm the grade. Contact us for samples or a quotation.
