Buthamee Sriviriyanont
Co-Founder / Production & Rubber Specialist
Buthamee Sriviriyanont is Co-Founder and Production & Rubber Specialist at Matrix Route Co., Ltd. With more than twenty years of hands-on experience in rubber compounds, production processes, and footwear manufacturing for Middle East markets, she leads technical development and manufacturing support for natural rubber footwear components.
Engineering Expertise
Practical Engineering Experience
Buthamee Sriviriyanont leads technical development and manufacturing support at Matrix Route. Her work focuses on natural rubber compound development, material selection, product manufacturability, prototype development, compression molding, quality improvement, and production engineering for natural rubber footwear components.
Her practical experience includes supporting the development and manufacture of OEM footwear components, particularly products intended for Middle Eastern and hot-climate markets.
Technical Role at Matrix Route
Industry Applications
Her work is particularly relevant to footwear components developed for commercial OEM production and Middle Eastern market requirements.
Technical Publications
Explore Matrix Route technical guides written by Buthamee Sriviriyanont on natural rubber materials, footwear engineering, OEM manufacturing, and hot-climate product development.
B2B Buyer’s Guide: Comparing Footwear Sole Materials for Hot-Climate Markets
Natural rubber, synthetic rubber, EVA, TPU and PVC offer different trade-offs in weight, flexibility, abrasion behavior, compression recovery, grip potential, production requirements and cost. Natural rubber can be a strong option for sandal outsoles, dress-shoe soles and flexible molded footwear components when its compound, hardness, thickness and tread design are developed for the intended use. EVA is commonly selected where lightweight cushioning is a priority, particularly in midsoles. Synthetic rubbers may be appropriate when properties such as oil resistance, abrasion behavior or formulation control are important. TPU and PVC can support repeatable molded production and specific commercial requirements, although their suitability depends heavily on polymer grade, hardness and product construction.
Natural Rubber vs. EVA Soles: A Practical B2B Material Selection Guide
Natural rubber and EVA serve different functions in footwear construction. Natural rubber is commonly evaluated for molded outsoles and other components where flexibility, elastic recovery, tread definition, grip potential and compound customization are important. EVA is commonly selected for midsoles, lightweight sandals and cushioning components where low weight and softness are priorities. Neither material is universally better. For many footwear projects, the most effective solution is combining an EVA cushioning layer with a rubber contact outsole.
Understanding Shore A Hardness for Rubber Soles
Shore A hardness measures the resistance of rubber to indentation under defined test conditions. It does not directly measure comfort, cushioning, grip, abrasion resistance, durability, compression recovery, or walking performance. Two rubber soles with exactly the same Shore A value may perform very differently because hardness represents only one characteristic of a complete rubber compound. For B2B sourcing, Shore A should be specified together with other engineering requirements rather than used as the only acceptance criterion.
Natural Rubber vs. Synthetic Rubber Comparison
Natural rubber and synthetic rubber are both widely used in footwear manufacturing, yet they are not interchangeable. Each material family offers different advantages depending on the intended application, environmental conditions and performance requirements.
Rubber vs. TPU & PVC in Footwear Manufacturing
Rubber, Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) are three widely used material systems in footwear sole manufacturing. While all three are flexible polymers, they differ substantially in chemical structure, processing methods, physical performance, weight, grip, temperature behavior and cost structure.
Natural Rubber vs. TPR for Footwear Components
Natural rubber and thermoplastic rubber (TPR) are both widely used in footwear manufacturing. Natural-rubber-based compounds are commonly selected when elasticity, resilience, flex performance and application-specific compound development are important. TPR is commonly selected when efficient thermoplastic injection molding, color consistency, design flexibility, shorter processing cycles and cost-controlled high-volume production are priorities.
Hot-Climate & Middle East Footwear Engineering Guide
Developing footwear components for hot climates and Middle East markets requires more than selecting a rubber compound described as "heat resistant." The sole must function as part of a complete footwear system under conditions that may include high ambient temperature, heated outdoor walking surfaces, air-conditioned indoor environments, repeated transitions between hot and cool conditions, smooth marble/tile flooring, dust and fine sand, long storage and transportation periods, and high visual/finishing expectations for Arabic sandal and dress-shoe constructions.
Heat Resistance for Rubber Soles in Hot Climates
Heat-resistant footwear soles are not defined by material name or Shore A hardness alone. A rubber sole intended for hot-climate markets should be engineered and validated for changes in hardness after heat exposure, retention of tensile strength and elongation, compression recovery under load, dimensional stability, flex-crack resistance, abrasion behaviour, adhesive-bond durability, surface appearance and odour, and finished-footwear performance.
Grip Design for Polished Marble & Tile Surfaces
Grip on polished marble and glazed tile is created by the interaction of the sole compound, tread geometry, contact pressure, walking phase, floor finish and surface contamination.
Two-Piece Rubber Sole Design & Manufacturing
A two-piece rubber sole uses separate rubber components beneath the heel and forefoot rather than one continuous rubber outsole covering the entire bottom of the footwear.
Arabic Sandal Weight Distribution & Underfoot Support
Arabic sandals achieve long-term walking comfort not because they are inherently softer, but because their outsole geometry, material properties, weight distribution, and structural support work together to manage how forces travel through the foot during walking.
Natural Rubber Soles for Dress & Formal Footwear
Natural rubber can be an excellent outsole material for dress shoes, formal sandals, premium slippers and traditional leather footwear when the compound and outsole design are developed specifically for formal applications.
About Matrix Route
Matrix Route Co., Ltd. is a Thailand-based OEM engineering and manufacturing company specializing in natural rubber footwear components, rubber compounds, prototype development, and production support for footwear manufacturers, brand owners, and importers.
Matrix Route’s manufacturing operations are based in Samut Prakan, Thailand.
Discuss Your Rubber Footwear Project
Contact Matrix Route to discuss natural rubber compounds, footwear component development, prototype requirements, and OEM production support.