Faux Suede Shoes: Pros and Cons

Shoes made from natural suede have always been highly valued. This is reflected in its quality, appearance, and, of course, price. It is the price factor that does not suit some buyers. Because of this, they are increasingly turning to unnatural substitutes. Let's figure out what the advantages and disadvantages of shoes made of artificial suede are.

What is artificial suede for shoes?

Natural suede is leather tanned in a special way. Synthetic material is made from polymers, in our case it is cotton-based polyester. At the last stage of manufacturing, it is impregnated with Teflon, which makes the base strong.

It is important to know! An artificial substitute is cotton-based polyester.

Accordingly, natural and synthetic materials have different criteria. But in some cases they converge.

Pros of faux suede shoes

Let's start with the positive aspects. There are many of them in this material.

1. Price. The first thing that attracts is the good price-to-appearance ratio.Sometimes a synthetic base cannot be distinguished from a natural one, but it costs several times less.
2. Uniform distribution of villi. The non-natural base is made in a non-woven way (fibers are glued to a fabric surface), or woven (cotton fabric is passed through a special machine that turns threads into fibers). Thanks to this, the fibers are distributed evenly, and the pores of the base or any seams are not visible.
3. Wear resistance and durability. Due to the fact that the base is Teflon impregnated, the material is resistant to many mechanical influences.

On a note! Despite the strength of the synthetic substitute, it still cannot be compared with the natural one.

Cons of faux suede for shoes

The first drawback is, of course, unnaturalness. Although you can’t tell the difference by appearance, the characteristics of genuine leather are different. Synthetic material is still:

• not so durable;
• allows moisture to pass through more strongly;
• less durable;
• loses its attractive appearance faster;
• worse air permeability;
• Doesn't hold heat that well.

Shiny spots quickly appear on synthetic material due to the fact that the fibers quickly wear out.

Should you buy faux suede shoes?

Judging by the available pros and cons, artificial suede is quite a good material. But it is worth noting that it is not suitable for all types of shoes.

So, it is better to buy warm winter and autumn boots from genuine leather, and choose artificial leather for shoes and sandals.