The main focus this week has been to learn about the most common materials that shoes consist of.
Footwear are mostly made out of leather, textile and different synthetic materials (Smith, 2022). Approximately 40 materials are used in the manufacturing of shoes (Yanet Hernandez Perez, 2022). The combination between the cost of materials and the characteristics of a material is crucial when materials are chosen.
More than 60% of the emissions from the global footwear industry come from the manufacturing and raw material extraction. For the synthetic and textile shoes, the manufacturing stage represents the biggest area of the life cycle. For leather shoes, the raw material extraction and processing account for over 50% of their climate impact (Quantis, 2023).
Here is an overview over the material share of footwear:
LEATHER
Cow leather is the most common material that is used for making shoes. It lasts long and it is flexible. Leather is elastic and can be stretched, but it is also resistant to tearing. Leather is a relatively expensive material compared to other materials. Synthetic leather is also a pretty common material in the shoe industry, but it is usually less durable than real leather. Synthetic leather consists usually of a base textile covered with a plastic material.
TEXTILES
There are many different kind of textiles that can be used on a shoe, for example cotton, wool, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, rayon, lycra amongst others.
RUBBER
Rubber is used to make the sole of the shoes. Rubber reduces the risk of slips and helps to get a good grip. The material is durable and waterproof. Rubber is a natural product that is mainly harvested from the rubber tree that exists in some tropical countries.
FOAM
There are two kinds of foam that are used for the sole of the shoe – open cell foam and closed cell foam. The open cell foam is letting air and water free to enter and exit, while the closed cell foam is completely closed off from the environment not letting anything enter the material. Open cell foam is usually softer and closed cell foam is usually dense. Open cell foam is often used in the upper back of the shoe (by the heel) and in the tongue (the adjustable part behind the laces). Closed cell foam is usually used in the sole.
🩴 🥿 👠👡 👢 👞 👟 🥾 🩴 🥿 👠👡 👢 👞 👟 🥾 🩴 🥿 👠👡 👢 👞 👟 🥾 🩴 🥿 👠👡 👢 👞
REFERENCES
- Jhuti. (2021, April 28). 5 common materials to make shoes. https://jhuti.com/blogs/knowledge/common-materials-to-make-shoes
- Measuring fashion: Insights from the environmental impact of the global apparel and Footwear Industries. Quantis. (2023, September 27). https://quantis.com/report/measuring-fashion-report/
- Motawi, W. (2023, May 6). How to select Footwear Materials. Shoemakers Academy. https://shoemakersacademy.com/select-footwear-materials/
- Smith, P. (2022). Topic: U.S. footwear market. Statista. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/topics/4704/us-footwear-market/#dossierKeyfigures
- Yanet Hernandez Perez, N. (2022, May 19). Evaluation of Sustainability & Materials Among Major Footwear Brands . https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/9z9035249
