Men's shoes come in a wide variety of materials. Different parts (such as the upper, sole, and lining) use materials with distinct characteristics, affecting wearing comfort, breathability, durability, and style.
Common Upper Materials
Genuine Leather (Top-grain Leather / Split Leather)
Advantages: Good breathability, soft and comfortable, durable, high-quality texture.
Suitable for: Business dress shoes, casual leather shoes.
Note: Top-grain leather is superior to split leather, which is often combined with microfiber leather to reduce costs.
Synthetic Leather / Microfiber Leather
Advantages: Low price, easy to maintain, appearance close to genuine leather.
Advantages: Lightweight, highly breathable, conforms to foot shape, suitable for sports or spring and summer wear.
Common combination: Polyester fiber + TPU heat-pressed reinforcement.
Woven Material
Advantages: Highly breathable, suitable for long driving or hot weather.
Suede / Patent Leather
Suede: Low-key luxury, good slip resistance;
Patent leather: Fashionable shine, easy to clean, often used for trendy or formal occasions.