In the middle of the upcoming season, manufacturers are already holding exhibitions in various places to unveil their new models for the upcoming 2023-24 season. We asked manufacturer PR representatives at various locations, including individual manufacturer exhibitions, collective trade shows, and snow test ride events, about the new models and hot topics that are attracting attention for the 2023-24 season
This time, we spoke to GEN, a Japan-made boot brand that is renowned for its meticulous approach to manufacturing and high technical skills, at the SNOW SPORTS Joint Exhibition (held February 14th-15th at Pacifico Yokohama)
The rider's model "FUTURE" has evolved even further!
The rider's model "FUTURE" now uses a new polyolefin thermoplastic upper and lower, which has reduced the weight by 8%. This material was chosen after discussions with the riders involved in development who requested that the shoe be as light as possible. For the 2022-2023 season, a lighter material was used only for the lower part, while the upper part was made of the conventional shell material, combining different materials for the top and bottom. However, from the 2023-2024 season, the same material is used, but by combining materials of different hardness, the shoe has been made even lighter
The polyolefin thermoplastic used this time has a softer surface hardness than urethane material, but is characterized by its firmness and tension within its softness. Not only is it lighter, but it has also become more flexible, improving response performance. When riders tried them on, they were amazed, saying, "It's completely different. The cutting of the edges and the way the board runs have changed."
For the rider's model, the buckle has been changed to a wire buckle called the "NEW frex-wire buckle" from the 2022-2023 season. This has also contributed greatly to improving the quality of the fit as well as flexibility. There is a big difference between the traditional style that presses down from above and the "round tightening" of the wire buckle, and this has resulted in a much better tightness than before
"This is going really well! It may seem like a small change, but it has had a huge effect," GEN team manager Noriyuki Sasaki said enthusiastically
"BUZZ-WIRE" with the newly released wire system
The freeride model "BUZZ-WIRE" features a new wire system called "BUZZ-Wire." It's a new style of boot that eliminates one of the bottom buckles and fastens with a wire, as shown in the photo. It's like a buckle version of a BOA, and its appeal lies in the ease, stress-free, and comfortable hold. It's the perfect shoe for all-mountain cruising
Introducing innerwear that can be used without heat molding!
GEN has been offering two types of "THE CORE," a special heat-moldable innerwear with original specifications developed in collaboration with INTUITION. Its superior molding capabilities using INTUITION FOAM allow it to be custom-fit to suit your level and foot shape, and it also boasts excellent heat retention and lightweight properties. New varieties have been added to this innerwear for the 2023-2024 season, bringing the total to four types
In addition to the conventional fully heat-moldable liners "THE CORE TEAM FIT," "THE CORE PRO FIT," and "THE CORE COMFORT FIT," a new type of thermo-liner that doesn't require heat molding, "THE CORE CLONE AUTO FIT," has been released. This liner gradually conforms to your foot using body heat as you wear it, naturally forming the shape. It feels quite good, so I definitely want to try it.
* "THE CORE COMFORT FIT" can be used without heat molding if there are no problems when wearing it.
Junior rental boots that comply with the SDGs are now available
For the 2023-2024 season, GEN has completed an environmentally friendly sustainable boot that contributes to the SDGs. Approximately 50% of the shell material is made from recycled materials, and the shell and cuff components are made from recovered plastic and recycled materials collected directly from production sites. The liner also uses recycled padding wherever possible. This may sound simple, but in reality, it would take a lot of corporate effort to achieve this
The initiative began when a ski resort approached them with a question: "Is it possible to make recycled boots?" In the process of manufacturing ski boots, plastic scraps are inevitably produced during injection molding. Could this scrap, which had previously been discarded, be mixed with the original plastic to create a product? This was an unknown challenge, starting from scratch
After much trial and error to determine the extent to which recycled materials could be used for the shell alone, they finally succeeded in commercializing the product using their own original resin blend manufacturing method. To verify the quality, they tested durability by bending forward 20,000 times at a low temperature of -20°C. They also conducted a low-temperature impact test in which a 4kg iron ball was dropped at -20°C to see if it would break. This proved the safety and performance of the boots as ski boots, and they successfully commercialized them for rental
In this way, reducing the energy required to produce conventional gear and reusing recycled materials in new products creates a virtuous cycle of sustainable manufacturing. Their first product is rental boots for juniors, but it will be interesting to see what else they develop in the future. It can be said that GEN FACTORY has taken a big step forward in their environmental efforts
Official website:http://jcreate-corp.co.jp/
SNS:Instagram|Facebook