If there is one component which is essential in a good pair of shoes it is a full length leather insole. If your foot sits on anything else inside the shoe then your feet and the footwear will suffer. All Trickers, Sanders and Loakes shoes incorporate a thick genuine leather insole which runs the entire length of the shoe or boot.
With wear a thick leather insole will very soon mold to the shape of your foot, with all its individual depressions and ridges. And this shaped insole will facilitate a supremely comfortable shoe. Textile insoles are unable to do this and will remain flat.
The second crucial benefit of a leather insole is that because leather is designed in nature to be breathable your foot can continue to breathe through the pores of tanned leather. Even if the outer sole of the shoe is rubber and impermeable a good thick leather insole is sufficiently breathable to allow air to circulate around your foot. Synthetic alternatives are never as breathable as leather and inevitably your foot will overheat. A hot foot is not only unpleasant for you but can also lead to unpleasant aromas and worse still can allow bacteria to breed inside your shoe which will then begin to weaken and eventually destroy the fibres of the leather, leading ultimately to the failure of the shoe.
Many cheaper shoes have what is called a ‘leatherboard’ insole. These are made of a mixture of cellulose and pulped paper. Such insoles posess none of the benefits of leather but are almost impossible to identify when looking inside a shoe as they look very similar to leather. Fortunately there is a sure way to spot them: Lick your index finger and then press it onto the insole, if the damp patch remains on the insole then you are looking at a leather insole. Conversely if it disappears immediately then you are dealing with a leatherboard insole.
Visit bradshawandlloyd.com to view the full range of shoes and boots from Tricker, Sanders and Loakes shoes, all made from natural materials.
