We use PURE SILVER FIBER woven in our shoe insoles because it is the top of the line in odor protection, moisture wicking, protects against hot spots and blisters.
WHY SILVER?
- Kills Bacteria & Fungi: Our feet and shoes harbor millions of organisms and bacteria which can be harmful to us. On average, our feet sweat a cup of moisture per day. The heat and moisture that build up in our shoes create a breeding ground for these bacteria and fungi to grow. This is why people experience such maladies as Athlete’s Foot (tinea pedis).
- Speed: Silver eliminated 99.9% of bacteria on the material within one hour of exposure.
- Effectiveness: Silver kills bacteria and fungi faster as the temperature in your footwear rises due to activity.
- Destroys Odor: Silver offers both antimicrobial and anti-odor benefits. Bacteria is only one of the potential causes of body odor. Ammonia and denatured proteins are also significant contributors to odor in footwear. Incredibly, both ammonia and denatured proteins bind most readily with silver. Because silver is on the outside of the fiber it allows for immediate binding with these odor-causing agents – resulting in instant odor reduction!
- Defends Against Blisters & Hot Spots: The biophysics of footwear has become an area of significant interest in recent years. It is now possible to use the existing energy of the body and the environment to actively regulate temperature through heat transfer
- Keep Feet Warm or Cool in Winter or Summer!: It enhances the natural movement of moisture through evaporation. As a result, the silver lining transports moisture away from the body faster, allowing for a more comfortable environment and less potential for convective heat loss. In warm weather, silver addresses evaporation by dissipating the amount of moisture in contact with your feet. Since heat and moisture are being dispersed, hot spots and blisters are greatly reduced
- Reduced Discomfort: The body consists of thousands and thousands of nerves that reach the surface of the skin. In fact, the bottom of the foot alone has more than 7,000 nerve endings. The body uses these nerves to transmit electrical signals, including the feeling of pain and discomfort. Because silver is the most conductive element, Kicks For Gents footwear with Silver will pick up the electrical charges on the surface of the skin and dissipate them. The result is less discomfort.
- Permanent Solution: The silver is a physical part of the fiber. The performance of the product will not diminish over time.
- Safe and Natural: Made with pure silver, a naturally occurring element. There are no chemicals or fear of toxicity to the consumer.
- Validated: Our SIlver Bonded Insoles are made with a product that is a registered antimicrobial with the US EPA, is OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified and is used in dozens of FDA approved products
- Magnetism: Whenever electricity passes through a medium, a magnetic field is created. Therefore, when the electrical currents from the body are distributed throughout the insole lining of our Kicks For Gents Shoes, a magnetic field is created. Beyond the traditional belief in the benefits of magnetic therapy, many prestigious healthcare institutions have recently published studies defending the claim that magnetic products will increase blood flow and reduce swelling.
What If I am allergic to SILVER Jewelry?
Silver is widely used today in medical products and in consumer products. In fact, the very first drug most people are given at birth is silver nitrate, in the form of eye drops. Today, silver is used in everything from burn care for infection control to eating utensils. The best colloquial example is the abundance of silver fillings for dental repair.
Kicks For Gents products are extremely safe because the lining is made with a pure silver adhered right to the fiber. Prestigious institutions throughout the world have validated the antimicrobial performance and safety of silver fibers in many published medical journals.
Some people are allergic to silver jewelry and make the assumption that they are allergic to silver. On the contrary, silver jewelry is made from an alloy called “sterling silver” and the people are allergic to the various other metals in its makeup.
Kicks For Gents footwear with Silver Fabric Insoles are made with a pure silver and there have been NO documented cases of allergies to pure silver.
What about safety testing?
Silver Fabric has more than 12 years of published clinical research supporting its safety and claims. The Silver fabric is also used in many Class 1 and Class 2 FDA-approved medical devices. The top institutions in the world, including Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Health, have tested, approved of, and currently use Silver Fabric – the same fiber in Kicks For Gents footwear.
Research
Take a look at a few scientific studies highlighting the antimicrobial power of silver.
1. April 2008 study in Applied and Environmental Microbiology suggesting that silver ions may cause S. aureus and E. coli bacteria to die. (https://aem.asm.org/content/aem/74/7/2171.full.pdf)
2. February 2012 study in the Journal of Applied Microbiology discussing the bactericidal potential of silver nanoparticles against the multiple drug resistant bacteria. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2012.05253.x)
3. December 2000 study in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research suggesting the antibacterial mechanism of silver through inhibiting DNA replication of bacterial cells. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11033548)