il processo di eliminazione delle sostanze pfas nei modelli aku

PHASING OUT PFAS – CHOOSING OUR MATERIALS

High-performance materials, without the intentional use of PFAS

For years, AKU has been talking about Design to Reduce. A concrete approach that guides the development of our footwear with a clear objective: to reduce the impact of our products.

This means choosing materials that allow us to lower CO2 equivalent emissions, but also carefully evaluating the chemicals used, favoring safer solutions for people and the environment. Among these substances to monitor are the now well-known PFAS.

PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more simply known as “forever chemicals”, are extremely persistent synthetic molecules. Once released into the environment, they take hundreds of years to degrade, bioaccumulate in soil and water, and can therefore enter the food chain. Precisely because of these characteristics, they are now at the center of a growing scientific and regulatory debate related to their potential effects on human health and ecosystems.

In the world of outdoor footwear, PFAS have historically been used to ensure waterproofing and durability, two fundamental requirements for products intended for the mountains. Their replacement is therefore neither immediate nor trivial. However, when the market evolves and the demand is clear – and in this case it is – innovation follows: in recent years, alternatives have increased, making a progressive, credible, and safe transition possible.

For years, AKU has been working in this direction.

In 2025, we reached an important milestone: for the outdoor world, we exclusively purchased PFAS-NIA materials.

NIA stands for “Not Intentionally Added”, meaning that PFAS were not intentionally added during the formulation or treatment of the materials. This specification is important because, in complex production chains, unintentional traces can occur due to cross-contamination or the presence of PFAS in the environment. For this reason, the expression PFAS-NIA, rather than PFAS-FREE, today represents a more correct and reliable way to describe companies' commitment to their elimination.

In European-made outdoor production, almost all materials used today are PFAS-NIA: we are talking about 89%, an increase compared to previous years. The remaining portion is mainly related to stock inventory that still contains these molecules and which is progressively being used up, to avoid waste and the generation of refuse.

The same approach also guides Asian production, where material selection has followed PFAS-NIA criteria since 2024.

In the Professional category, however, the transition is proceeding at a different pace. Certain materials—which are essential for ensuring the highest standards of safety and protection in extreme operating conditions for users such as law enforcement, security personnel, military personnel, and first responders—cannot yet be replaced without compromising the performance required in these contexts.

AKU has set a goal to achieve 100% PFAS-NIA materials in outdoor footwear by 2026.

Reducing the use of persistent substances in materials means taking concrete responsibility throughout the supply chain, helping to limit the presence of these molecules in the environment.