Having a suave dress sense, style and elegance are among the key prerequisites for achieving success in the corporate world. Just like your clothing, shoes play an important role in determining the type of impression you create among your colleagues, peer groups and top management. Most office professionals prefer leather shoes and their first choice is branded shoes. The rush to buy branded products is because of the general perception that branded shoes are made from genuine leather. However, this may not be true since branded doesn't always mean real leather. It is important to note that not all branded shoes are made from real-leather.
In recent times, a lot of faux materials have inundated the market, which are often presented and sold as genuine leather products. Having spent more than 30 years in the manufacturing and export of real leather shoes, I can easily identify what's synthetic and what’s genuine leather. However, this expertise may not be available to everyone. It is possible that the leather shoes you purchased were made from faux material that looks like leather.
So, how do you know that you are buying genuine leather shoes and not some flimsy product made from faux leather? Well, here's what you can do to differentiate between fake and real leather shoes.
- Texture: Real leather shoes will have a rich texture that looks far more elegant and superior in comparison to artificial leather shoes. Just by moving your fingers over the leather, you can get an idea about its natural softness and strength.
- Smell: Real leather has a distinctive smell, whereas faux materials mostly smell like plastic. You may need a bit of practice, but eventually you shall be able to tell the difference between the smell of real leather and that of faux materials.
- Shoe info: Real leather shoes usually have a swing ticket on the shoe with a piece of leather in either an oval shape or the shape of a hide. This piece of leather shows the type of leather used to make the shoes.
- Composition label: You need to read the composition label and look out for text or symbols that say ‘leather upper’ or ‘leather lining’. This will indicate that the product is made from real leather. The below image is read as:
Upper: Leather
Lining and sock: Leather
Sole: Other Material- This usually means a man made material and not leather.
Real leather shoes are strong and they can last for years. Genuine leather shoes are flexible and they easily take the shape of your foot to provide the most comfort. You can also consider buying shoes from the leather shoe range by KINGS, which are made of genuine leather uppers and leather sole for the added comfort. Real leather is porous, which helps dissipate heat and perspiration. This is very beneficial in an office environment where you are likely to be wearing your shoes for several hours.
If you want the style, elegance and comfort of real leather, look for genuine leather products instead of blindly buying branded products. Do remember that branded doesn't always mean real leather. Make your own assessment of the product and finalize your decision only when you are sure that you are buying genuine leather shoes.