Footwear insoles manufacturer OrthoLite, headquartered in Amherst, Massachusetts, has secured three new US patents on the speckled appearance of  its new Hybrid range of products.

In an early commitment to reducing the use of virgin materials, every OrthoLite insole has included at least 5% recycled rubber since the company’s founding in 1997. This is the origin of their distinctive speckled appearance. The new GRS-certified Hybrid, HybridPlus-Bio and HybridPlus Recycled insoles also include between 15-43% production waste foam.

The speckled appearance indicates premium quality to more than 550 footwear brand customers and the three new US patents protect the coloured foam speckled design of the new Hybrid range.

“For OrthoLite Hybrid, the distinctive speckled aesthetic is inextricable from our proprietary chemistry and therefore inextricable from the function of the product,” says Glenn Barrett, founder and CEO of OrthoLite. “The patents ensure that no other insole supplier can imitate the visual design and try to confuse buyers around the product they’re selling.”

The distinctive and authentic Hybrid designs include post-production recycled foam. OrthoLite has its own recycling facilities where it reclaims and grinds the waste to meet its exclusive foaming specifications. They also employ proprietary chemistry along with reclaimed PU waste and recycled rubber. OrthoLite virgin PU is combined with post-production PU waste foam and recycled outsole rubber to help further close the loop on manufacturing waste.

All Hybrid technologies are third-party certified. The three US design patents are D941568, D991659 and D1020199.

www.ortholite.com