Durability test

Every manufacturer is licensed, every factory is certified and every style is submitted to rigorous tests that push the laws of physics.
There is more than one way to test the durability of a fabric.

Shoe/Boot tester

Every new GORE-TEX® footwear design is flexed in water up to 300,000 times by a water sensing mechanical foot. For a shoe, this is equivalent to a lifetime of walking.

Performance Tests

GORE-TEX® fabrics have to do what they say they do and do it better than any other product available. To achieve this, the fabrics are tested through a wide range of tests. 

Centrifugal Tester

The machine spins water filled footwear at high speeds on pivoting arms, creating enough pressure to force water through even the smallest hole. Any leak is quickly discovered.

Moisture vapour transfer rate

This test measures how much moisture vapour can pass through fabric in a 24-hour period. While there are over 30 different tests to assess this transfer rate, few correctly predict how the product will actually perform. This is because they either don’t take the comfort or breathability of the footwear or garment into account, or they haven’t been correlated to the product’s intended use. At Gore, our tests are designed specifically to predict the actual performance of garments and footwear in real life conditions.

Field Tests

The lab is good, but it's the great outdoors that can make or break functional garments and footwear.
How will a product stand up in real life situations? The only way to know for sure is to test gear in the field. Before making it to the retail sales floor, GORE-TEX® products must survive rigorous field testing.