Joanna Carver, reporter
If you wear white sneakers outside, chances are they won't stay clean for long. But thanks to a new superhydrophobic coating that is claimed to completely repel water and heavy oils, your shoes should look like new for longer - and keep your feet dry at the same time.
Developed by Ross Nanotechnology of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the spray, called NeverWet, allows liquids to roll off without touching the underlying surface. Company president Andy Jones declined to reveal any trade secrets but he does say that the silicon-based aerosol is made of nanoparticles that self-assemble when sprayed.
The company sent us a pair of trainers with one shoe treated with the spray, so we decided to test them out on the streets of London. In this video, you can see red wine skip off the surface while viscous sauces like ketchup and caramel roll off without leaving a trace. But NeverWet can't resist everything: it's vulnerable to most solvents, for example acetone or ethanol. By subjecting the shoe to a dose of spray paint, we manage to ruin its nearly pristine exterior.
The aerosol can also be applied to electronics: a dramatic video reveals how an iPhone coated with the substance remains fully functional when submerged in a bowl of water for 30 minutes.
NeverWet is set to go on sale in the US before the end of the year, and internationally soon after.
For more on ultra-repellant materials, check out our full-length feature "Omniphobia: the stuffs that stick at nothing"
or watch a super-slippery material, inspired by a carnivorous plant, in action.
Water-hating shoes repel (almost) any liquid
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Water-hating shoes repel (almost) any liquid
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Water-hating shoes repel (almost) any liquid
