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
Although real and faux leather are extremely similar in appearance, they wear differently. Real leather holds up to the elements much better and has a more refined look as it ages. It doesn’t crack, peel or deteriorate if taken care of properly. Leather 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.
Can’t be cruelty free when your killing someone. Can you rape someone gently by using plenty of lotion? No you cannot and the same goes for killing someone. Humans have also been raping women, children and murdering each other for hundreds of thousands of years and still do to this day. Does that make it ok? No! If you are harming someone you are in the wrong. And if you want to stop raping the earth go veg. Everything from world hunger, extinction, water pollution, temperature rise, patolium burnining, to most dominant forms of cancer, diseases and the brutal rape murder and torture of over 100 billion animals every year are caused by animal agriculture. Buying one pair of plastic shoes is not going to kill anyone.
Yes just like me when I appreciate the people I have killed, obviously making it not murder! Purchasing leather increases the demand for the slaughter of animals because they become more valuable. So when you buy leather shoes, you are helping fuel the slaughter industry.
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. 😉
By eating animals your actually killing more animals than burning down a forest. Animal agriculture is responsible for 100’s of billions if not trillions an animals every year. And considering we are frugivores by design and all animal products are poisonous and cancerous to us and are nothing but a toxic addiction that kill everything on this planet. If you eat meat, dairy, honey, eggs, you are supporting the largest mass murder in the history of the planet. Yes you are a murderer now, But you can be a better person by going vegan.
What an idiotic comment. People are always looking for excuses to continue animal consumption. First off, it’s instinctual for cats to eat mice, it comes along with their physiological make up as opposed to humans who are proven to be herbivorous. Secondly, you’re comparing plants to animals in terms of worth..I can’t imagine how insensitive you are. But while we’re on that subject, you’re killing more plants just by eating animals because of the amount they eat before being slaughtered. And your little rant about overpopulation contradicts what you mentioned right before; animal agriculture is proven to be the leading cause to environmental destruction. Next time do your research. As for me, I’d much rather go with plastic shoes because at least they can be recycled, sentient lives cannot. Have a good one.
Our very removal from this instinctive and non-self aware intelligence, such as that of the cat, allows us to question whether the slaughter of animals for our gain is necessary. When you stop disassociating yourself from your ‘livestock’ and drumsticks made of chicken in plastic boxes you might gain some sympathy
Worse yet, fake leather stays in landfills for generations, MURDERING animals by ruining the place they live. Loss of habitat is how humans REALLY kill off animals.
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
To Martine, what is absurd is your comments, how are you going to compare killing animals to eating plants or a cat eating a mouse, are you that infantil?..First of all we should be GUARDIANS to animals not exploit,abuse or otherwise use them for food as there are tons of alternatives to sustenance. Comparing a cat to us is ridiculous to say the least as we KNOW better and they are doing it out of instinct. We are the higher beings in that sense.And plants are not sentient being even thous scientific studies show they are affected when lets say someone cuts their branches or leaves..they do not have pain receptors! WHat you should be is more aware of what the animal’s plight and be more compassionate
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 like leather. I’m deathly allergic to sunlight, and it’s one of the only clothing fabrics that has 100% opacity if it’s black. The problem is the overheating factor; I need garments made of kid glove leather, or I could sweat to death in warm weather or trying to do any manual labor work. Problem is, they’re almost impossible to find online, and anyone who sells them usually only sells jackets, fetish T-shirts,skinny pants or lingerie. I’m a 210 pound muscular man; I need 3XL long sleeve button-down tops and 2XL loose fit pants. I need them to be as thin as dress gloves.
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.