Materials & Construction

What shoes are actually made of — leather and suede, natural rubber and vulcanization, synthetic leather, nubuck, and the textiles behind an upper.

Leather

Suede

Natural rubber

Vulcanization

Synthetic leather

Nubuck

Textile

SOLECARE

Keep your shoes going — cleaning, fit, and the craft of good footwear care.

Get new guides by emailOccasional emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

InformationAbout Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Affiliate Disclosure Cookie Policy

Every entry, image, and fact is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses. No content is AI-generated.