Toe puffs, nitrocellulose base

Fabrics impregnated with weakly nitrated nitrocellulose, n.o.s. (including toe puffs, nitrocellulose base), see Nitrocellulose Products, p.l61... 

One of the most important methods of assembling shoe components is adhesive bonding. In 1949 polychloroprene adhesives replaced the nitrocellulose solutions that had been introduced in 1906. The almost complete versatility of the polychloroprenes allowed leather, textiles, and other natural substances (until then the only shoe materials) to be supplemented by other materials, such as various rubbers and synthetics, or to be replaced altogether, as in the case of toe puffs, counter stiffeners, or heels. The way was thus opened for an astounding development in fashion and shoemaking techniques. Adhesive-based processes, supported by new machines and equipment, led to new bottom-attachment systems, simplified the production of footwear, and drastically reduced the number of production operations. Since 1970 a position of comparable importance has been reached by polyurethane adhesives. 

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