9 Best sole material for shoes.Number 5 is really interesting

Sole is the foundation of your footwear and is responsible for providing comfort but a wrong choice can hurt or even damage your feet.

Most people don't even give a thought for the sole of the shoe that they are buying.

Selecting a right sole can really be a hectic task for many of you when you know nothing about it.

Some of the shoe sole types have been described below with their characteristics which will help you pick sole that suits best for you.Let’s get start

1. Rubber sole

Elites of UK wore shoes of rubber sole to play Croquet sports.

These soles are majorily made out of recycled rubber but natural and synthetic rubber are also used for the purpose.

• Flexiblility of rubber sole is one of the major factor for providing comfort to our foot but it makes the shoes a bit heavy.

• The fungal and bacterial infection caused by dampness can be prevented by wearing waterproof rubber sole.

• Durability is a factor which everyone wants while buying a product specially footwear.The abrasion resistive property of rubber gives the ability to last long even when used roughly.

• The slip resistance property of rubber sole provides great grip over wet and steep surfaces.Therefore footwear with rubber sole are ideal choice for adventure enthusiast and for workers who work in slippery wet conditions.

• Safety shoes with rubber sole are recommended to those who work in hazardous conditions be it a firefighter or a person working in industrial area,it is because it can withstand heat and acid in order to protect human foot.

Various types of shoe sole that are variation of rubber:

• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) soles: used for safety boot manufacturing. 
• Crepe rubber sole: soles made from sheets of coagulated latex.
• Resin rubber sole: durable and waterproof.
• PU soles: anti-slip property
• Gristle rubber sole: robust quality

2. Commando sole

Vitale Bramante is credited for the invention of commando rubber sole after six of his friend died in climbing accident.Hence the sole was primarily designed for mountain climbing purpose.

The properties like weather resistance and durability makes it one of the most popular type of rubber sole.

• Commando-soled shoe provides immense grip and traction on all kinds surfaces and weather conditions.

• Large lugs protrude from the bottom of the sole are responsible for providing traction to the boot.

Clunky style of the boot is solely because of the heavy nature of the sole.

3. Polyurethane (PU) sole

Polyurethane is the end product of the chemical reaction between isocynate prepolymer and a polyol component in the presence of an organometallic catalyst and heat.

Two versions PU soles have been developed by manufacturers:

Polyether:it has superior surface finish with water resistance ability which makes it excellent sole material for street shoes and sandals.

• Trekking shoe soles are made out of PU which show great slip resistance and waterproof ability.

• The durability of PU soles is because of the abrasion and wear resistance property which helps keeping the form of the sole sole intact.

• For the job which demands long hours of continuous standing (like the job of security guard) footwear of PU soles are recommended because its light weight and shock absorbing properties provide comfort to the indivisual.

4. PVC sole

PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride which is a soft form of plastic.

It can be moulded very easily into various shapes and designs that is why different style of soles are available in the market for you to choose from.

Since leather is a premium and hence costly material used in sole making therefore pvc sole material is used as synthetic alternative for the purpose.

Walking shoe are soled with PVC because the stability and comfort that it provides to the wearer.

5. Cork sole

Cork is a natural substance which is harvested from bark of the cork tree.

Apart from being used in shuttlecock and wine bottles as bottle stopper it is also being used in footwear for sole making.

• It also helps you keep your feet cool by allowing air flow in the shoes and thus your feet breaths properly.

• A shoe with cork insole,when worn for long period of time it moulds itself to the individual's foot.

• The sole has the ability to keep foot and heel in orthopedically correct position is the reason that premium shoe brands and medical companies use its insole for pain relieve.

• Natural elasticity of cork restricts the impact force hence the stress on ankle and knee joints to some extent,hence it is recommended to wear footwear with cork sole in jobs that demand all day standing.

• Routine cleaning of dirt and oil (foot perspiration causes the dirt to set deeply into the cork) using dry cloth is required for its maintenance in order to keep all of its properties intact and greater the life span.

Premium shoe brands uses cork in their sole hence they provide great comfort and proper fitting to the wearer.

6. Leather sole

The material has been used for shoe making since ancient times.

Leather is an animal skin (generally a cow hide) that undergoes a particular tanning process to make it firm and resistant. It is therefore completely natural.

Leather required for making sole is prepared by vegetable tanning process.

• Leather can absorb liquid water up to 25% of its dry weight without getting damp.

• The sole gets customed to your feet over the period of time because leather has the ability to get mould (when pressure is applied upon it), providing maximum higher degree of comfort.It also provide little cushioning to your feet when the sole is made of several thin layers of leather.

• When leather absorbs water and oil then the abrasion resistive ability and hardness (which acts as barrier to protect your foot) lowers down therefore proper.

Leather soles are durable but it comes with a cost that it should be taken care from water and oil which when absorbed lower its abrasion resistance and reduces the hardness of the sole.

7. EVA sole

It is a rubber-like material which is known for its softness and flexibility hence commonly used material for midsoles,outsoles and sock liners.

• Light weight nature of eva sole makes it a perfect material for shoes that are used by running athletes. 

• European countries have banned it considering not safe for certain products associated with children.As a result of which,EVA being a material of so much value has not been adopted worldwide even today.

• Low thermal conductivity of eva soles helps in keeping your feet warm for long during winters and hence are used in wool boots.

• Flexibility and shock absorbing  abilities of the sole makes it an ideal material for production of running shoe soles, hence EVA is used by top line sports brands.

It can be divided into three categories depending upon the vinyl acetate content:

a. 4 % content: similar to the processing method of thermoplastic material.

b. 4-30% content: material has character similar to rubber.

c. more than 40% content: classified as EVA rubber.

Like every other materials EVA too has its own drawbacks.Over period of continuous use it tends to get compressed (specially runners) resulting in flat shoe soles.

That is why the life span of eva sole shoes are short.

8. TPR sole

In 1975 thermoplastic rubber which is abbreviated as TPR was patented.

It is a part of polymer family which shows rubber like properties and are produced by molding and compounding rubber granules from solid raw materials(shredder old car tires).

The dimensional stability and abrasion resistance of the material gives it a plastic like properties which is the reason for its long life.

But as it compromises a bit on the comfort part hence shoes with TPR sole are not recommended for standing all day on the job.

For a sport or adventure loving person,shoes with sole tpr would be a perfect match as it offers slip resistance and shock absorbing abilities to the footwear.

9. TPU sole

The material was introduced in late 1960s to the footwear industry.

Thermoplastic urethane attributed as TPU, are used for sole making for safety shoes thanks to its aesthetic and elastic properties.

It is always used in the combination with  midsole of polyurethane (PU) to form complete sole.

• TPU has great abrasion and slip resistance (providing high grip) property which makes it an ideal material for soling of safety shoes.

• It has been the material of choice due to its shock absorbing ability and high flex life at sub freezing temperature.

This technologically advanced materials are developed to counter those problem which the naturally occuring material cannot fulfill.

Conclusion

Some of the best sole material for shoes which are commonly being used, though few of them are not mentioned here.

Now you know about the type of sole that fits your requirement, so next time make a smart move while purchasing a new pair.

What kind of soling material does your footwear have?Just leave a comment below.