How to Choose Shoe Upper Materials for Your ODM/OEM Casual Shoes Projects？

Are you worried that using PU in your casual shoe project will make your target customers feel it's cheap? Are you worried that your target customers won't buy your genuine leather casual shoes? This article will introduce you to 5 types of shoe upper materials to help you choose the right one for your OEM shoes project.

Suitable properties for shoe upper materials include: soft touch, breathability to dissipate moisture and absorb air, high recovery and elasticity, lightweight, wear-resistant, water-resistant, easy to process, and non-fading.

1. Natural Leather/Genuine Leather

There are many types of natural leather, with cowhide being the most commonly used, and sheepskin and pigskin also being used to a lesser extent. Over 80% of shoe uppers are made of cowhide. Natural leather generally offers advantages such as softness, good breathability, warmth, foldability, and durability.

Top-grain cowhide, also known as pearl leather, has a grainy surface with natural scars and vein marks. It is composed of a dense, thin dermis layer and tightly connected fiber layers. The fiber structure is relatively tight, and it possesses excellent strength, elasticity, breathability, and processability.

Split leather, also known as split cow leather, is obtained by splitting it using a splitting machine. This layer has a looser fiber structure and is then sprayed with chemical paint or coated with PVC or PU film. It maintains a certain degree of elasticity and plasticity, but its strength is relatively low.

Suede, also known as suede, has a surface that resembles original animal skin, with a hairy, rough texture, good breathability, a soft feel, and comfort. It can be dyed in a variety of colors. However, it has poor color fastness, is easily soiled, and is difficult to maintain. When designing shoes, avoid pairing suede with contrasting materials, as this can easily cause color bleeding.

comparison of the Genuine Leather

2. Artificial Leather

Faux suede is made by foaming or laminating PVC, PU, or other materials of various formulations onto a textile or non-woven base. It is manufactured to meet varying strength, color, gloss, and pattern requirements. It offers a wide variety of patterns, excellent waterproofing, neat edges, high yield rates, and a relatively low price.Faux suede and suede are difficult to distinguish in appearance. Therefore, if you choose suede as the upper material, you should include a clause in the contract that strictly prohibits the use of faux suede, and you can request your supplier to provide a test report.

3. Mesh

4. Foam

Foam offers excellent elasticity, light weight, rebound, and flexibility. It's commonly used in the collar, heel, and tongue for added comfort. Some shoe designs also use 2mm foam inside the waistband, adding comfort and breathability, while also enhancing the waistband's three-dimensional effect.

Due to its poor abrasion and tear resistance, foam is typically not used in exposed shoe surfaces. Instead, it needs to be laminated to other materials. It's usually coated with self-adhesive tape and then attached with a release liner. Lamination to other components is quick and easy, simply by removing the release liner.

5. TPU

A hard yet easily bendable plastic material with excellent support and protection. It is primarily used on various shoe uppers to provide enhanced support.

How to distinguish natural leather from artificial leather:

1. Natural leather has irregular shapes and uneven thicknesses. It may have some natural surface defects, varying degrees of surface smoothness and fineness, and is generally loose at the edges and belly. Full upper leather has noticeable pores and patterns, and the lining is generally fuzzy. Synthetic leather, on the other hand, has uniform thickness, a smooth surface, and no natural defects. Its pores and patterns are also uniform, and the lining is generally fuzz-free.

2. Finished leather with a uniform surface texture, no scratches, no rough lines, and no defects may be artificial leather. Natural leather has many deep, slightly slanted pores, while leather with shallow, vertical pores may be synthetic leather with a modified upper. From a cross-section, the fibers of natural leather have their own unique characteristics, with varying thicknesses in each layer. In contrast, the fibers of synthetic leather are essentially uniform across the layers, with a plastic film-like surface.

3. Natural leather is obviously highly absorbent, while synthetic leather is likely synthetic.

4. Natural leather has excellent elasticity and tensile strength, while synthetic leather is likely synthetic.

5. Blowing on the reverse side of the leather with saliva, if leakage occurs on the reverse side, this is due to the "anti-rebound" properties of genuine leather. Genuine leather is effective in keeping out cold and is also very breathable.

6. On the surface of natural leather, patterns and pores are visible, but their distribution is uneven. Animal fibers are visible on the reverse side. In a side section, the layers are clearly discernible, with the lower layer containing animal fibers. Scratching with a fingernail will cause the leather fibers to stand up, creating a fuzzy feel, and a small amount of fibers may fall off. If this is the case, it is synthetic leather.

7. Genuine leather has a very elastic feel. Bend the leather face downward about 90 degrees, and it will naturally wrinkle. The thickness and number of the wrinkles produced by bending different parts of the leather will vary significantly.

8. Natural leather has a strong, furry odor, which is still noticeable even after treatment. Artificial leather, on the other hand, has a plastic smell, not a furry smell.

9. Natural leather emits a burnt hair odor when burned, and the resulting ashes are generally easy to break into powder. Artificial leather, on the other hand, burns with a strong flame, shrinks rapidly, and has a very unpleasant plastic smell. It becomes sticky after burning and hardens into lumps after cooling.

FAQ

1.What are the most durable shoe upper materials for outdoor shoes?

    The most durable shoe upper materials for outdoor shoes are usually top-grain cowhide, coated split leather, TPU-reinforced materials, and high-strength synthetic fabrics. Top-grain cowhide offers excellent durability, shape retention, breathability, and a premium appearance, making it suitable for hiking boots and outdoor casual shoes. Coated split leather can be used in more cost-conscious outdoor footwear, especially when extra surface protection is added. TPU is not usually used as the full upper material, but it is very useful for reinforcing high-wear areas such as the toe, heel, and side panels. For lightweight outdoor shoes, durable synthetic mesh or textile materials combined with TPU overlays can provide a good balance of abrasion resistance, flexibility, breathability, and support.

    For outdoor shoes, the best choice is often not a single material, but a combination: leather or synthetic fabric as the main upper, TPU for reinforcement, and water-resistant or protective finishing for better performance in harsh conditions.

2.How do different shoe upper materials affect foot comfort?

   Shoe upper materials affect foot comfort mainly by changing breathability, flexibility, softness, weight, and support. Leather and mesh usually improve breathability and comfort, suede adds softness, foam improves cushioning, PU offers water resistance but less airflow, and TPU increases support but may reduce flexibility.

3.Why is mesh used in running shoes and casual sneakers?

   Mesh is used in running shoes and casual sneakers because it is lightweight, breathable, soft, flexible, and comfortable. It helps release moisture and improve airflow around the foot. Mesh is especially suitable for exposed areas of athletic and casual footwear, but it does not provide much warmth or strong structural support.

4.Is suede a good material for casual shoe uppers?

  Suede is a good material for casual shoe uppers when softness, comfort, texture, and fashion appeal are priorities. It works well for casual shoes, loafers, sneakers, and fashion boots. However, suede is not ideal for shoes that require strong water resistance, easy cleaning, or high color fastness, because it can stain easily and may transfer color when paired with contrasting materials.

5.Why is foam not usually used as an exposed shoe upper material?

   Foam is not usually used as an exposed shoe upper material because it has poor abrasion resistance and tear resistance. Instead, foam is commonly used inside the collar, heel, tongue, or waistband to improve comfort, rebound, softness, and three-dimensional structure. Foam is often laminated with other materials to make it easier to apply and more durable in footwear construction.

Final Thought

    Selecting suitable upper materials is vital for casual shoe development. With 15 years of professional shoe-making experience, Huangxuan supplies high-quality market-competitive footwear to clients worldwide, maintaining a customer complaint rate below 3%. Feel free to reach out to us for professional upper material selection guidance!