Decontamination is always important when firefighters are choosing between leather and rubber boots.

Firefighters prefer leather boots because of their comfort, fit, and agility. However, a common misconception has been that rubber boots decontaminate better than leather boots. In an attempt to evaluate the truth of this belief, W. L. Gore & Associates designed and performed an experiment to determine whether or not rubber actually is superior to leather in its ability to be decontaminated. The results of the study debunked the long-standing myth, showing that leather actually contained less contaminants than the rubber material after a simple decontamination procedure. For example, test results for residual gasoline, a common contaminant firefighters face, showed that leather retained only a tiny fraction of the amount that rubber did. For more information read the report.

Stop by booth 2441 at Fire-Rescue International to learn more about this study and the advantages of leather boots made with CROSSTECH^® footwear fabric.

Leveraging 30+ years of developing protective fabrics for public safety professionals, Gore is committed to helping improve the safety and performance of firefighters, through ongoing research, testing, and product innovation.

Visit crosstech.com to see the full line of CROSSTECH^® products.