In addition, after a hard day in new shoes, you don’t have to worry about an unpleasant odor, as genuine leather has high breathability and allows the foot to “breathe”.
In pursuit of low cost and massive supply, manufacturers are increasingly replacing natural materials with synthetic ones. Now you can stumble on leatherette among virtually any type of product, and authenticity is becoming increasingly difficult to determine. Many of us are accustomed to focus on the smells coming from shoes, hoping in this way to determine the material from which it was made. However, in the era of modern technology and aromatic substitutes, this method is not the most reliable.
Heat transfer
The higher the heat inside the shoe, the higher the humidity. It is for this reason that a pressure difference appears, which allows excess moisture to be pushed out, and your feet - not to sweat.
Synthetically made leather has a very low breathability and practically does not remove moisture. You can notice this if you hold the shoes in your hands for some time - the skin will very quickly heat up from the heat of the hands and will keep the temperature for some more time, and the leatherette will take more time to do this. In addition, synthetic leather will even feel cold and artificial to the touch.
Smell
Undoubtedly, manufacturers have learned to fake even this distinguished property of genuine leather. But this method is not so common, and such a check will take very little time. Leatherette is most often created using chemical impurities that are easily perceptible by smell. The skin also has its own unique, pleasant smell, which does not cut the scent and feels good.
Elasticity
One of the serious drawbacks of leatherette shoes is that after short wear, the surface of the product is covered with small cracks, folds and scars. If you bend the leather patch - it will quickly take the opposite shape without damage in area.
Porosity
IMPORTANT! Sometimes manufacturers of artificial leather shoes create a special, uneven pattern of pores on its surface, so this method, like the others, is recommended to be used in conjunction with others.
Home Test Methods
What to do if the shoes are already bought, and you still doubt the material from which it was made?
There are at least two ways that you can spend at home and determine whether you got genuine leather or not.
Water exposure
What about leatherette? If the material does not have pores at all, the drop will not be absorbed and, most likely, just roll down. This fact alone indicates that the legs will be not only not comfortable, but also dangerous to health. Indeed, increased humidity and heat accelerate the development of diseases such as, for example, fungus.
Exposure to temperature
If the surface starts to instantly melt - you got a leatherette. The test can be done on a label (material sample) if you are afraid of damaging the product.
IMPORTANT! Follow safety precautions when testing with fire and do not keep it near the surface for too long.
Having studied and applied such simple, but at the same time effective tips in the future, it is much easier to determine what shoes are made of and decide for yourself whether to buy them.