Abstract

Wear trials have been carried out to investigate the role which vegetable tanned leather linings have in determining the comfort of footwear. The work has demonstrated that leather linings ameliorate the discomfort of footwear made with synthetic uppers and conversely that foam-backed nylon linings detract from the comfort of shoes with leather uppers. A probable reason for this is the inability of the synthetic lining to absorb liquid water once the water vapour absorption capacity has been saturated. It is concluded that labelling regulations for footwear such as those incorporated in BS 583:13980 should be amended to include a description of the lining material. The load to cause a 6% strain on the upper system has been shown to have validity in determining the fit comfort of men’s dress shoes.