How are rain boots made?
Rain boots are made from natural rubber which by nature is not waterproof and can be brittle when cold and gooey when wet. To make rubber usable, it has to undergo a process called vulcanization. This chemical process not only makes the rubber waterproof but also makes it the proper consistency. To make the boots, a mold of the boot called a ‘last’ is created. From this mold all the different sizes of boots are made. The material that makes the inner lining is placed over the last. The last is enclosed in a machine that is injected with rubber which creates the boot around the last. The pattern is then printed over the rubber. Here is an interesting video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSEHA0MHG5A ) from the TV show “How It’s Made’ that shows how Kamik boots are produced.
