Leather Vs. Synthetic

While looking for shoes, it is human nature; we choose the ones we find durable and comfortable enough to stand in them all day. It does not matter what type of job you have or which profession you belong to, sometimes you have to be on your feet for long hours, and if your choice of work shoes is not ideal, you might have hurting feet at the end of your shift.

Which is the Best Material for Comfortable Work Shoes

From doctors, tour guides, chefs, waiters, factory workers, and many other professions, including a housewife, you have to be on your feet on and off for multiple hours. During such a hectic routine, it could get hard to have any breaks to rest your feet; instead, you go through the agony of wearing the wrong sort of work boots.

Suppose a required healing time is not provided to your tired and achy feet. In that case, a more extended period of pain might cause severe foot problems like fatigue or, even worse, a chronic foot condition called plantar fasciitis.

Let me spill the beans about the actual reason behind foot fatigue or other problems. It is not the standing part of the job that always causes pain. It is the material of your work boots that may be the sole reason behind your hurting muscles. When you have a comfortable fabric on your feet, you immediately feel refreshed, enhancing your work performance. There are a lot of features for the best footwear for work, but the question arises which work shoe attribute suits your job requirements? Here I have gathered all the required information for an ideal footwear choice that suits long-lasting standing hours at work.

Is It Important To Know The Type Of Your Work Shoe Material?

Yes, it is crucial and necessary to know the material of your shoes because you will be standing in them for long strenuous hours. It would help if you took your time selecting the perfect pair of work shoes to provide comfort and much-needed support to your body to get through the busy day at your job. So invest in a type of work shoes that will ensure your convenience, your style, and most eminently, your general health.

The correct material used in your work shoes will make it easier and bearable to stand on your feet for an extended period. So, to make a knowledgeable decision, keep the strengths and the weaknesses of the material used in mind. The primary materials used in work boots are leather and synthetic material. You might find synthetic material work shoes more appealing due to their low cost, but stop for a second and think if buying high-priced leather shoes would turn out to be a better buy than synthetic shoes in the distant future.

Both leather and synthetic material products encounter chemical processing, so they don't decompose quickly, but since leather comes from an organic source, it could biodegrade readily once the product reaches its lifespan.

Here is a comparison with pros and cons that will delineate which one is the best choice.

Leather

Leather is the main component for making multiple varieties of stuff from bags, shoes, wallets, belts, and jackets. It is the most archaic material in the world used since the millennium.

Leather is a highly flexible material with long durability formed by the tanning and skinning process of sheepskin.

Leather has the tendency to be molded and shaped in any size and shape imaginable. Leather has been a staple material for shoes since forever.

Leather's high level of comfort and longevity makes it stand out and attractive, and the most exciting feature of the leather is that it is firmly waterproof. You might find this feature very appealing if you experience a wet environment daily.

Leather shoe quality is straightforward to maintain and uphold; it is pretty facile to clean leather shoes. Just proper cleaning will make them suitable to go and long-lasting. Leather shoes have a humungous variety of styles and designs, from designer boots to casual to safety working shoes.

Leather shoes became an instant hit as safety work shoes because people prefer the flexibility in activity leather offers. It is a perfect choice of work boots for indoor and outdoor work vicinity.

And if you are looking for more classy and fashionable footwear with creative techniques and designs, then genuine leather couldn't be more stylish and elegant. Leather goods, specifically leather work boots, are worth every penny.

Here are some pros and cons to make the strength and the weakness of leather for you to keep in mind while buying your shoes.

Pros:

• Leather goods are highly durable, especially leather shoes.
• Leather boots are breathable and don't make your feet sweaty.
• Leather boots offer excellent comfort and stretch in movement.
• Leather has a unique moisture-absorbing quality.
• Leather shoes outlast wear and tear.
• Leather shoes last for a lifetime.

Cons:

• Leather shoes are expensive.
• Leather is made of animal skin, so nature-wise, leather is not vegan.
• Leather shoes are heavy to wear.
• Leather shoes graze readily.
• Leather shoes are easily affected by temperature variation.

Synthetic Material

Contrary to leather manufacturing, synthetic material is an artificial substance. Synthetic material undergoes man-made manufacturing substances together with nylon, acrylic, lastex, acetate, polyester, and others to reach its form.

All these ingredients have different qualities compared to leather. Urethane and Vinyl are commonly involved in making synthetic leather.

The footwear from synthetic material is typically known as 'imitation leather' or 'faux leather shoe.'

Synthetic leather has a plastic base treated with dyes, wax, and polyurethane, making it rigid and uncomfortable. Because synthetic leather is man-made, it has pretty attractive colors and textures that are smooth and soft to the touch. It is elementary to clean and maintain, and it is impervious to stains.

Synthetic leather work shoes are not preferable by workers because they don't offer ease and comfort as genuine leather does. Synthetic material makes movement unflexible and painful after a long day at work.

Synthetic leather can be water-resistant by treating it with various chemicals.

The pros and cons will further elucidate the weakness and strengths of synthetic materials.

Pros:

• Synthetic material shoes are very affordable and have minimal manufacturing prices.
• Synthetic leather is available in a wide range of attractive textures and colors.
• Synthetic leather is purely vegan, i.e., no maltreatment of animals.
• Synthetic leather is mass-produced.
• Synthetic leather is lightweight as compared to genuine leather.
• Synthetic leather strongly repels acids.
• Synthetic leather does not easily scrape or cut.

Cons:

• Synthetic leather has a low comfort level.
• Synthetic leather is less pliable and more unyielding.
• Synthetic leather absorbs moisture.
• Synthetic leather is not breathable and makes your feet sweat.
• Synthetic leather is not heavy-duty and lasts for a shorter timespan.
• Synthetic leather is not very environmentally friendly because they contain cheap plastic composition.

How to Distinguish Genuine Leather and Synthetic/Faux Leather?

This question must have emerged in your mind: How can you differentiate between the real thing and faux while shopping for work boots. So here are some features that will help you do just that.

Color:

• Original leather has distinctive animal skin colors.
• Synthetic leather has artificial colors.

Texture:

• Original leather has a rough and coarse texture.
• Synthetic leather is very smooth to feel, just like plastic.

Smell:

• Original leather smell like animal skin.
• Synthetic leather smells of plastic.

Pores:

• Original leather has a lot of pores, just like animal skin.
• Synthetic or fake leather doesn't contain any pores or cracks.

Edge:

• Original leather has natural and rugged edges.
• Synthetic leather has polished and even ones.

Creases:

• Original leather has creases as well as crinkles.
• Synthetic leather is somewhat plastic-like unwrinkled, and featureless.

Conclusion on Leather Vs. Synthetic

Surely you will want to buy durable and comfortable work shoes for your job where you have to be on your feet for several grueling hours so that leather boots would be ideal in comfort and flexibility. But at the same point, synthetic leather offers more air circulation that could be a plus point for people with sweaty feet. It is because synthetic leather is composed of lighter fabric blends compared to natural leather. So, synthetic leather could be a better option for a job with much standing and walking to do. But in the end, your choice of comfortable footwear depends upon your job and professional requirements.

You have to keep your work environment in your mind while choosing your work boots. If you work where harmful chemicals are involved or where your shoes get any risk of tear, you should go for the durable, more resistant work shoes that are leather safety shoes. However, if you like light synthetic fabric on your feet that is more colorful and vivid, go for synthetic leather. It will let airflow more efficiently, and you won't feel sweaty.

Ultimately you will feel relaxed and at ease with a comfortable choice of work boots, whichever you turn out to choose in the end. And this will hugely impact your mood and work productivity.