If you Guys ask me about Which animal's leather material used is most commonly found in Footwear, I would say Mostly, Cow and Calf leather followed by Pig, Goat, Sheep, Alligator, etc.
What Exactly Animal Leather is ?
Leather is animal hide (Hide mean Animal Skin).
It is also important to know that Cow hide is Thick and it has two parts.
a. The top Surface (also called as grain)
b. Split (The bottom part of the leather after being split)
Generally machine is used to separate top grain and Split.
What are Type's of Leather ?
a. Grain Leather.
b. Split Leather.
Under grain Leather
Common Types are Full Grain aniline Leather, Full Grain Pigmented, Corrected and Pigmented Grain, Nu Buck and Crazy Horse etc.
a. Full grain aniline leather : A leather which has kept its full grain and has a naturally textured, full pored surface. Aniline leather is made from skins or hides that are of a high quality and the most expensive. these leathers darken well with age. Not all animal skin can be turned into full-grain leather. Only the highest quality of animal hide can be turned into good leather.
b. Full grain Pigmented leather : also called as Top Grain Leather. Top grain leather is the second-highest quality of leather among all leather types. top grain leather has a uniform look in contrast to full-grain leather. Full-grain aniline leather will always be stronger and more durable than top grain leather. if the animal hide is unfit to be full grain manufacturers may split the leather and remove the topmost layer for top grain.
c. Corrected and Pigmented grain leather : To smooth out the leather surface and to eliminate its imperfections, wrinkles and Scratches, the skin is slightly embossed and a tinted grain film is applied to its surface. Quality of the this leather is not at highest and it has slightly Artificial appearance. There are different grades of corrected leather depending on the degree of correction required on the surface of the hides. The less correction that is performed, the better the grade
d. Nu Buck : The Velvety appearance of this leather is obtained by the light pouncing of the skin, thus highlighting the grain and the pores of the leather. Quality skin is used to get Good looking Nu Buck. It's a pleasant material, soft to touch with velvety colours.
e. Crazy Horse : To make this leather a lower quality full grain hide may be brushed to remove just the top surface. The leather is then treated with a heavy, waxy and oily compound that will darken the leather. This leather will show colour changes when flexed.
Under Split Leather
Common Types are Split or Suede, Pressed Suede, Action or coated leather etc.
a. Split or Suede : Suede is a very common shoe material. It is the leather surface after the top grain is removed. Suede leather appearance is similar to Nu Buck leather. The animal the skin comes from and its age have an influence on the quality of suede. Sheep are the most common source of suede. At the other end of the spectrum, mature cows produce a less-desired suede.
b. Pressed Suede : Starting with Split leather, the surface is then treated with an oily, plastic- based resin. The leather hide is then pressed flat with an embossing plate. The surface will have a fine texture and may have a Slightly Glossy appearance. This is an inexpensive material, starting with lower quality skin. This is not a good choice for fine shoes.
c. Action or Coated leather : The Surface of this type of leather is pressed or rolled smooth. The hide is then laminated to thin film of flexible, Stretchable pu or pvc. Once the film and leather is bonded, the split hasa very smooth, full grain like surface. The smooth white leather we see in sports shoes is generally Action leather. Action leather is less expensive then Suede leather.
What Exactly Non Animal Leather is ?
Generally by the name itself, you come to know leather material where animals skins are not used, Sort of artificial leather, also called as Synthetic leather. Common types are PU leather , PVC leather, Faux leather, Vegan leather etc.
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