BASF, The Directive Collective, and Clarks Jointly Launch Polyurethane Concept Shoe, Showcasing Next-Generation Material Innovation

April 7, 2026 – BASF, together with design studio The Directive Collective and global footwear brand Clarks, has created a new polyurethane (PU) concept shoe and showcased the TRIEASE collection developed in collaboration with Clarks. The project integrates BASF's latest polyurethane innovations into a unified material system, demonstrating how advanced materials can support future footwear development.

The PU concept shoe focuses on performance, structural design, and material application, exploring the potential of design-driven material solutions. Clarks' TRIEASE footwear from the Spring/Summer 2026 collection applies the same design philosophy to a walking shoe line centered on comfort. These parallel innovations demonstrate that comfort, refined aesthetics, and responsible production can go hand in hand.

The sports recovery concept shoe is based on a single PU material, combining transparent cast polyurethane (CPU), spray PU, and solvent-free synthetic leather into a unified system to meet the growing demand for sports recovery footwear:

The Elastopan® PRISM transparent CPU outsole offers visual clarity, excellent slip resistance, and long-lasting durability, laying the foundation for a distinctive design.

The Elastopan® spray PU midsole and upper provide lightweight cushioning while enabling more complex geometries than conventional foams, showcasing advanced material engineering.

The heel section uses BASF's innovative PU synthetic leather Haptex®, which is produced without organic solvents, offering both flexibility and comfort with a lower environmental footprint.

For the Spring/Summer 2026 collection, BASF and Clarks further deepened their collaboration to advance comfort-centric footwear development. Centered on the concept of "effortless walking," the partnership blends Clarks' design and ergonomic expertise with BASF's strengths in material innovation and data analytics.

TRIEASE is not just a product launch; it reflects a close integration of data-driven insights, material development, and manufacturing. Under the theme "Walking, Evolved," BASF and Clarks jointly present a new generation of footwear solutions that combine high performance, minimalist design, and responsible material choices.

"BASF is very pleased to collaborate closely with The Directive Collective and Clarks," said Silvia Mok, Vice President and Head of Polyurethane Business Management for BASF's Performance Materials division in Asia Pacific. "This partnership fully demonstrates the great potential of polyurethane materials in product design and development. The concept shoe and the TRIEASE product were developed in parallel, both leveraging the comprehensive technical capabilities of BASF's polyurethane systems to continuously explore material potential and expand the boundaries of diverse product designs."

Half a century ago, Clarks brought scientific rigor to footwear design through gait analysis and innovative materials—a philosophy embodied in its Movers line and iconic curved soles. Today, the TRIEASE collection represents a fusion of Clarks' craftsmanship and BASF's material science, proving that comfort, minimalist design, and responsible production can coexist harmoniously.

The concept shoe was designed by Richard Kuchinsky of The Directive Collective, whose creative direction shaped the aesthetic narrative and material expression of the concept. The collaboration between The Directive Collective and BASF ensured that the prototype realized the design vision while remaining feasible for production.