Microfiber leather is a type of synthetic leather that serves as a great alternative to real leather. It is a great choice for different kinds of footwear for kids and adults.
Let’s see what are the advantages of these types of shoe materials, look at their benefits and do some comparison.
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What is Microfiber Leather?
As we mentioned, microfiber leather is a type of synthetic leather. It is created from a mix of non-woven microfiber material coated with high-quality polyurethane (PU) resins.
It is the highest grade of synthetic leather, and because of its exceptional performance, it’s considered the greatest substitute for real leather. This sort of leather is a huge improvement compared to PU leather, which was merely conventional fabric coated with polyurethane resin.
Microfiber Leather Durability
The strength of microfiber leather is comparable to genuine leather, making it strong and long-lasting. Because of the high quality of the material, the microfiber will have a high life span and will be suitable for wearing in the long run.
It’s not surprising that more and better leather alternatives are available thanks to developments in synthetic materials and growing public support for the humane treatment of animals. In this regard, this type of material is a recent creation renowned known for its durability. The question is whether microfiber lives up to its name and complements genuine leather and other options.
Is Microfiber Leather Real Leather?
No, microfiber leather is not real leather. Due to its remarkable performance, microfiber leather is known as the best alternative for real leather. Synthetic materials are crafted from millions of tiny, synthetic fibers. They are woven together and secured with polyurethane. Just by looking at the shoes with microfiber, you can tell that it’s not real leather. Before, this material didn’t resemble, smell, or feel like animal skin.
However, synthetics are in high demand, which is increasing the number of methods developed to increase them. Luckily, right now, there is high availability for excellent microfiber leather, which is a great choice as a sustainable material for shoes. The more difficult it is to tell the difference from the real leather, the better the quality.
Is Microfiber Vegan?
Microfiber shoes are vegan shoes meaning that they are also plastic-free, biodegradable, and crafted from organic microfiber “leather”. An exceptional property at an affordable price!
Is Microfiber Leather Waterproof?
Microfiber leather is water-resistant. It is even significantly more waterproof than traditional leather. Because microfibers have microscopic pores, this material can hold up admirably against water.
The greatest thing of all is that you can clean and maintain kids’ shoes to make the even more waterproof. Several shoe protective sprays can seal those holes, making microfiber even more water-resistant.
Microfiber VS Faux Leather
Microfiber leather is a synthetic material made up of tiny fibers. Faux leather is made of the plastic base, PVC and polyurethane.
Pricing, durability, maintenance requirements, and lifetime vary significantly due to the differences in material quality and manufacturing process effectiveness.
Microfiber leather is a lightweight material mostly used for clothing and shoes. Fabrics made from microfiber imitate suede’s properties by combining natural fibers like cotton, wool, and silk with synthetics like rayon and acetate.
Faux leather is also an artificial and synthetic leather. It represents an affordable alternative to real leather and has two forms PVC/Vinyl and polyurethane. But faux leather is not so durable and prone to tearing, making its lifespan about half that of microfiber shoes.
Microfiber Leather VS PU Leather
Microfiber leather has better color fastness, texture, hydrolysis, and abrasion than ordinary polyurethane leather. PU or polyurethane leather is popular and has more color options than artificial leather because it has been on the market for a while.
Here are some main differences between microfiber and PU leather.
- Microfiber leather is much more expensive due to its properties than PU leather.
- PU leather has been popular for quite some time, so it has many more colors and styles than microfiber.
- PU resins in microfiber leather are stronger in abrasion, acid and alkali resistance, and hydrolysis resistance. PU resins also have better color, fastness and texture than ordinary PU.
- The microfiber leather for its base fabric has a three-dimensional structure of microfiber nonwoven fabric coated with high-quality polyurethane resin. PU leather has woven or nonwoven fabric as the base fabric, coated with polyurethane resin.
- Microfiber leather offers much better abrasion resistance, moisture absorption, and comfort than ordinary PU leather.
Microfiber Leather Shoes
Synthetic leather was once considered inappropriate for high-end footwear, but microfiber leather has revolutionized the shoe industry. It is made to withstand weather changes and wear and tear for longer periods.
If you take care of them properly, they can hold their shape quite well and are hence highly durable. They are better for prolonged usage and outdoor activities because they are lighter and more water-resistant than genuine leather.
Besides being lightweight and comfortable, the greatest part about shoes with this material is their availability to the mass of consumers.
Advantages of Microfiber Leather Shoes
These soes have their top, insole, and lining constructed of all the same material – microfiber leather. Let’s see the main advantages of these features.
- The high resemblance of the real leather
- Long-lasting feature thanks to tiny, synthetic fibers woven together
- Highly lightweight compared to real leather shoes
- Excellent resistance to hydrolysis and aging
- Excellent abrasion resistance, tensile strength, and flexing endurance
- Anti-odor properties thus, stinky kids’ feet will not be an issue
- Highly resistance to water
- Very breathable
- Convenient for maintaining and washing
- Eco-friendly
- Cost-effective
How to Identify the Quality Microfiber Leather
- Check the surface grit. High-quality microfiber has a clearer texture and a surface layer that feels oddly similar to genuine leather. This microfiber has a good handfeel, good elasticity, and very good comfort. On the other hand, the low-quality is harsh and strongly plastic-like.
- Examine the crease. Try to fold the shoe several times, check and determine if creases disappear quickly and recover or not. The performance of the surface PU bonded microfiber base is improved by the smaller wrinkle and faster disappearance. This is a crucial sign of high-grade microfiber.
- Scratches resistance. Scrape the microfiber’s surface lightly. If there are no marks left, it’s a good microfiber material. However, don’t believe that these shoes are not magical. They can tear down and get scratches but not as easily as real leather shoes.
- Resistant to hydrolysis. Hydrolysis is exceedingly difficult to crack on high-quality microfiber shoes. Naturally, it is challenging to identify with the bare eye, but it is necessary to state clearly when shopping for different types of shoes.
- Base material. A crucial element of microfiber leather is the base material, which affects the functionality of microfiber as a whole. The performance of microfiber is more stable with a good foundation fabric.
In Conclusion
The most credible, suitable, and affordable alternative to leather footwear are the ones crafted of microfiber leather. These types of shoes are very comfortable and due to their high demand, they are more and more available in different colors and designs.
Besides that, these shoes are crafted of high quality so they are waterproof, comfortable, and resistance to easy scratching. Everything a kid needs in a shoe.
