There’s nothing more I love in the summer than running around in a barely-there sandal. But there’s nothing worse than when those barely-there sandal burn blisters onto your feet. And the chances of that happening are much greater if those sandals (or any shoes for that matter) are not made of real leather.
Historically, shoes were made of leather or other natural fibers, such as woven fabrics or plant materials. These materials differed based on the shoe’s function and the wealth of the wearer. Early 19th-century aristocratic women wore thin slippers made of brocade that were too fragile to use outdoors, while maids and manual workers wore sturdy leather boots or wooden clogs. Egyptians molded braided papyrus into soles and attached rawhide straps to keep them on the foot; Africans sewed slip-on sandals from colorful leathers; Spanish made shoes from rope; and Slavic nations fashioned shoes from felt.
Events in modern history, such as shortage of materials during wars and new technological discoveries, changed the shoe landscape by introducing cork and other alternative materials. As the demand for shoes grew in our modern society, it became necessary to provide affordable shoes that were accessible to everyone. And man-made leather became the most popular material for manufacturing cheaper shoes.
Faux leather, or man-made leather, is a material that looks like leather, but is made by combining different chemicals. The two most commonly used are polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane (PU). The first is made by adding plasticizers to PVC, which make it more flexible. The second is made by coating a fabric (usually cotton or polyester) with a flexible polymer and then treating it to give it a more leather-like appearance. When they were first used in fashion, the terms “pleather” and “faux-leather” implied that the wearer was too poor to buy genuine leather items, but man-made leather has become increasingly more common these days because it’s cheaper than leather, looks very similar, and is extremely versatile.
In my opinion, neither is good. The materials are given names like pleather or faux leather to make them seem more like the real thing, but the bottom line is that PVC and PU are plastic materials filled with chemicals, including petroleum and pthalates. Ever wonder why your feet burn, sweat, and feel uncomfortably hot in some shoes and not others? It’s all related to what the shoes are made out of.
The main reason many shoppers choose man-made leather over real leather is the price. Synthetic shoes are often cheaper than a comparable pair of leather shoes. But since man-made materials have become more popular and acceptable (especially since fake-leather has started being referred to as “vegan leather” – seriously?), designers and retailers have been getting away with charging the same or more for fake leather products as they do for real leather products. So when it comes down to price, would you rather buy a pair of real leather sandals for $60 or fake leather for $60? I think I’ll go for the real leather, thank you very much. The simple fact that I feel more comfortable when I know my feet aren’t surrounded by plastic is the main reason I purchase leather shoes. But there are other benefits as well:
Comfort – Real leather shoes allow the feet to “breathe” more than faux leather shoes. Leather also flexes, stretches and molds to the foot, allowing it to move more naturally. Faux leather will cause your feet to sweat and feel uncomfortable as it does not allow air to flow as easily through the material. It can also cause blisters or rashes to form on the feet from friction and heat because the plastic materials will not soften with time.
Durability – Leather shoes usually last longer than man-made shoes. A well-made pair of shoes can last many years, especially if taken care of properly. Leather shoes don’t crack or tear as easily and keep their color much longer, so they’re a much better investment. Since classics never go out of style, it’s a good idea to purchase certain styles in leather, such as black pumps, black boots, and a simple pair of flats.
Appearance – Personally, I think real leather looks nicer than faux leather. It holds up to the elements much better (if taken care of properly) and has a more refined look as it ages. It also doesn’t have the plastic-chemical smell that often accompanies faux leather.
When shopping for leather shoes, always look at the label. Check to make sure that both the upper AND the lining are leather. If the lining is made of PVC or PU, it defeats the purpose of purchasing a leather shoe because it cancels out the breathability and flexibility of the leather outer. However, a fabric lining is often better in boots. I find that a padded fabric lining keeps feet warmer in boots than just a layer of leather.
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Do you ever think about leather as murder? Search up the Chinese leather industries and you might change your mind about wearing a dead animal on your foot 🙂
So what’s better, using the hide from an animal already killed, or raping Mother Earth for materials to engineer plastics, i.e. Petroleum, which then in turn require more chemically man made materials that are harmful not only to the environment, but to the cows and to the wearer? I think you are right to be appalled by the animal cruelty in the food and clothing industries, but maybe focus on stopping the abuse and making it humane before putting people down for utilizing resources the same way human kind has for hundreds of thousands of years. It’s not murder when a native kills and uses the entire animal, because they appreciate the animals sacrifice. The only reason it’s wrong is the WAY they do it, and plenty of companies out there provide animal cruelty free products, leather and otherwise.
Well Jillian, you call it “raping Mother Earth” when man-made leather products are used instead of using leather from a killed animal. Just be aware that the chemicals used in the tanning process can be every bit as harmful to “Mother Earth” as any that are used in making faux leather.
I eat animals, so I have no problem not letting the skin go to waste. And NO. I do not consider using livestock murder. When a cat eats a mouse, is that murder? And why is killing plants any less murder then killing animals? The whole thing is absurd. The real way humans murder animals is overpopulation, and taking away wilderness to use for homes, schools, farms, and anything else. if you want to be kind to animals, don’t have kids. Thats a real sacrifice, and actually worth something. 😉
the term “vegan leather” really is not appealing to a vegan. As someone looking for animal-free shoes, I’m just looking for that, not hoping for some sort of leather replacement. I understand the term, gotta call it something, but I don’t like when marketing is trying to emulate a different product…just call it “man made upper” or whatever it is.
Anyway, for me the man-made materials are what I look for. Cost does not come into play and I trade out the durability for cruelty-free products. If they end up costing less, then I aim for 3 pair over the same life-span the leather ones would have gotten for me. I have several pairs of leather shoes from my pre-vegan days and they do last a long time. $300 dress shoes better last! But now, I gladly go for $50 vegan dress shoes that’ll wear out in a couple years.
just throwing out another perspective on the “which one is better” question
In all honesty, and I sell shoes in a department store for a living, both leather and man made, and I have personal experience with both, leather shoes breathe quite well, the soles are repairable, and also generally speaking if you really want to be Eco friendly you should not only look at leather, where we find more comfort and quality, but natural dyed leather like Frye. Also, higher end brands like Frye, Doc Martin, and Jon Fluevog tend to have warranties, cheaper shoes don’t have warranties, so it’s really up to the retailers policy, which for most is “you wear it outside, you cannot bring it back” but if the brand has a warranty, all you have to do is call one of the brand’s stores and they will take care of it. Even if you don’t have the money (or don’t want to spend it) there are still sales and such. Also, if you really think of it, the man made leather is still dead animal, it’s just been dead for longer.
Thank you so much for the article. I am suffering from pain on my feet for a few years, and. It is because of the tennis shoes. I know because when I wear one pair of expensive shoes the pain stops. I will try leather tennis shoes.
PLEather is usually made in China, China has no environmental laws and no workers rights laws, so at the end your Fake leather is polluting the environment and destroying the ecosystem. Also fake leather si not good for your body, for your health (don’t breath, it’s made of chemicals) and not last as the real Leather. The unique good thing I see from Fake Leather is the animal cruelty free point, but then nothing is good is even worst than the real leather. I have to say that just the leather from livestock raised for the meat industry is, somehow, good for the environment, since it’s a sub-product and it will not be disposed so is used to make wear, but it’s not the same thing as the cheap real leather from China or India.
I’m vegan and own a pair of leather combat boots (m77 pilot), and if I ever need new ones (unlikely because I take great care of them) I’ll buy real leather ones. Even if that means I can’t call myself vegan by others standards, I have EDS (Ehler Danlos Syndrome) which is a rare connective tissue disorder, my joints dislocate easily and my skin is fragile. Wearing real leather combat boots isn’t a fashion choice for me, they are tall enough to keep my ankles safe, the leather shapes to my foot perfectly (buy 1 size up and shrink them to your foot) so I don’t have to worry about blisters as much, they breathe and don’t irritate my skin and they’ve lasted me 15 years already.