|
Property
|
Ideal
material
|
Leather
|
| Permeability
to water vapour |
Should
be high to allow perspiration to disperse |
Better
than man made materials |
| Water
absorption |
Should
be high on the flesh side to absorb perspiration for extra comfort |
Better
than most other materials |
| Water
proofness |
Should
prevent penetration by external liquid water for long periods |
Normally
poor, unless given plastic coating or special water proof treatment
in tannery |
| Heat
insulation |
Should
be in closed styles to keep feet warm |
Good
while the leather is dry |
| Rotting
resistance |
Should
be high to mildew acids and alkalies |
Good.
Mildew will leave stains and smells but little physical damage.
Resists acids but may be damaged by strong alkali. |
|
Scuff resistance
/ repairability
|
Should
not ber damaged by normal scuffing; slight damage should be easily
repaired |
Not
very good but the damage is easily repaired (xcept suede) Protective
finishes possible |
| Cost
/ availability |
Should
be cheap and readily available |
Expensive.
Availability depends on meat demand, political factors etc |
