An Innovative Approach to Enhance the Durability and Sustainability of Shoe Insoles

This study presents an innovative approach to designing a shoe insole with enhanced durability, sustainability, and antibacterial properties. Needle-punched non-woven recycled polyester fabrics with three different GSMs (100, 200, and 300) were developed. The composite shoe insole was developed using non-woven fabric laminated with a polyurethane sheet to enhance durability. The fabrics were treated with an antibacterial finish with three different concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%) and subjected to 5 and 10 washing cycles. The developed composites were evaluated against their relative hand value, abrasion resistance, tensile strength, antibacterial activity, and overall moisture management capability. Overall results reveal that the developed composite shoe insole is durable, sustainable, and presents no bacterial growth, demonstrating the insole’s hygienic effectiveness.