Patent? Patent "leather?" I'm confused!

[TabascoTesa]

So now that my little Moda Spana adventure flopped (see my post over in the "Pictures of your Favorite Shoes" section) I have my eyes on other high heels--namely these lovely stilleto-y steel tipped boots. YUM! However, I've got a pretty pressing question.

I prefer leather to any other material for shoes. This is a personal preference, because I sweat like no woman should, and I like a material that just breathes a little bit. Even patent leather with its thick coating of finish, seems to "breathe" a little better than plastic for me.

Lots of places online sell shoes in "patent." Some of them even refer to them as "patent leather." Is this really leather (in general) or is this usually just a coated polyurethane?

I wouldn't mind having those steel-tipped boots even if they were polyurethane, since you can wear socks with those to wick off some moisture and no one will notice or care. But pumps would be an entirely different issue. I'd hate to be swimming in a pool of plastic-sweat by the end of the day.

Or, perhaps, can anyone recommend a good resource for leather high heels in large women's sizes? (I take a US 12 in most cases, and in pointy-toed styles I'd probably even want a 13.) There's lots of cheapies out there for under $40 USD that are obviously plastic. I'd much prefer a nice leathery shop...

[TXT-1]

true Patent Leather is VERY expensive, many shoe manufacturers cost cost by using PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) instead! only (I think LSB and Imagine sell "true" patent shoes) later, TXT-1

[Lucy]

Hi TabascoTesa! The description "Patent" should, strictly speaking, apply only to patent leather. However, various firms have got a bit naughty and use the term to describe the finish of synthetic materials. Being a Londoner (UK), I'm not familiar with suppliers in the USA, but on the web you could try either of the London firms Leatherworks or The Little Shoe Box, both of whom do a great range of stiletto-heeled shoes and boots in genuine leather. I hope this helps! Love, Lucy

[JeffM]

According to the information I have Patent Leather is a leather (genuine) that has a hard laquer applied to the outside giving the surface of the leather a glossy look. The colour comes from the leather not the laquer. Patent though it seems refers to leather look alikes, so is probably a synthetic material. One way to tell I think may be to look at the inside of the material, if it has the look of leather then it probably is and if it has that smooth look of plastic then it is probably not Patent Leather. The smell should also give it away. Plastic smells like plastic. At a guess the name comes from a process that was patented in being able to apply a laquer to a leather surface. Jeff.

[TXT-1]

from what I heard originally patent was created by putting linseed oil on natural leather, but today becase genuine patent is SO expensive, beople use PVC as a substitute! later, TXT-1

[Heelfan]

Hello TT! The advice that everyone has given you appears to be very good, except that it's not a reliable test to inspect/smell the interior because nearly all leather boots have an interior lining throughout, and sometimes this lining is synthetic. Also, it's no good asking you to inspect and smell the interior of the boot at the point where you're still initially wondering which firm to approach! The cut through the mystery - simply check with each particular firm before you order anything. Under international trading conventions, most reputable shoe manufacturers print on the sole of the shoe (or a sticker on the sole and also usually on the shoe-box) what the upper, the sole, and the inner lining are made of. The symbol for real leather is the outline of a cow-hide and the symbol for synthetic materials is a diamond-shape. Therefore, you needn't wait to inspect and smell the actual boots, simply telephone or email the supplier and ask them to check the materials for you. Mind you, a good number of the better firms illustrating their selection on their website actually specify the materials alongside their picture. Sorry your Moda Spanas didn't work out! However, we're all agog to see a photo of your 4" stilettos! I note that you didn't find the 4" heels as stable as your previous shoes, but surely that's half the fun! Best of luck with your boot-hunt. You really seem to have got the heel-bug well and truly now! Wahay! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

[xaphod]

Yep, I've got the sweaty feet problem too. Before anyone says anything about smelly feet, I'm fastidious about cleanliness of feet and hose, so this doesn't arise. Not wearing the same pair of shoes every day is also a good plan, but with the number of shoes I have, that problem doesn't arise either. As has been said, modern patent is an impervious plastic coat applied to leather. From the few patent shoes I have worn, my feet are soon uncomfortably swimming in sweat after a couple of hours, so I avoid plastic/patent like the plague. I bought the dragon boots from Bananashoes a while ago, knowing they were plastic, but I had fallen in love with them. I wore them for 2 hours and had to take them off because they were too sweaty. I found condensation in the folds of material around the ankle which shows how much plastic doesn't breathe ! Some boots are leather upper, but with a plastic lining. From the outside, these look good, but are still sweaty. A textile lining is cheaper to make, but OK with leather uppers, because it still breathes. Leather soles are available on some 'all leather' boots/shoes. Unfortunatley these wear much more quickly than synthetic soles, so they really need a rubber sole for durability. In short, the best pair of boots are leather uppers, leather or textile lining and synthetic sole. I have a couple of very nice boots where the manufacturer has provided leather/synthetic soles, but these are rarely found. Xa