4 Types of Cork Shoes | The Guide You Need

The Multifaces of Cork

Cork is an extremely versatile natural material that literally grows in trees, turning into one of the raw materials more special on earth. If you never heard about the cork proprieties you can read some of the articles in our blog.  But believe me better than read my words, no doubt the best way is try for yourself the amazing material this is.
Due its versatility for footwear purposes cork can be used in several components that form a shoe.

Cork Sandals | Cork Footbed Sandals

Due the amazing lightness and shock absorption proprieties of cork, this material have been used as footbeds in summer sandals. The main benefit is the incredibly arch support and less walking fatigue cork footbed sandals can provide you.
The german brand Birkenstock popularized to the mainstream these type of shoes and at this time are one of most popular brands in all world.
By our definition cork sandals are simply sandals that use cork in the footbed, than for the upper these have been used with leather, different textiles or even cork itself as you can see in Cultura Portuguesa cork sandals collection.

Cork Shoes | Heel Cork Shoes

Usually when people look for the term cork shoes usually they are looking  for ladies shoes made heel in cork.  I would say this is the most common type of shoes with cork components sold worldwide.  
The capacity of cork to absorb impacts makes it an excellent choice to use on the heel where all the impact takes place. The natural look of cork  also combines great with premium leather as it gives a distinctive and natural look to a classic heel shoe.
The downside we see in this type of shoes, is the lack of transparency of sellers when promoting the materials of the piece. Despite the fact many times it seems the heel is made with cork, at the end of the day is just lined with cork fabric while the interior is usually made with a cheaper material. This is something consumers must pay attention to.
Luxury brands as Channel or Jimmy Choo have widely used cork on their heel shoes.

 

Cork Sneakers | Shoes With Outsole Made With Cork

More recently big brands as Birkenstock have developed with Portuguese shoe manufacturers outsoles made or with a big percentage of cork used in the outsole. Many times the cork used is even recycled for wastes of the same cork industry…I love when it goes green!
This is a great achievement as you are promoting the amazing lightness and shock absorption capacities of cork on the whole base of the sneaker.  For sure this will give a better walking comfort and less fatigue during your daily activities.
Recycle cork also been mixed in outsoles together with other materials as rubber, this way you are reducing the a amount of rubber used in the shoe and reincorporating in the whole production cycle materials that would end up as waste. This is what we mean by circular economy!
Recycled cork outsoles have been developed by Treec Footwear and these can be found in Cultura Portuguesa collection of cork shoes.

Cork Shoes | Cork Fabric shoes

The last type of shoe made with cork I would like to present, are shoe made with cork fabric. Mostly found and produced in north of Portugal where one of the best hub of footwear manufacturers worldwide is located. Together with this skill and easy access to high quality cork fabric, some Portuguese brands start to develop shoes where the upper uses cork fabric.
The most advanced brand in this regard might be Treec Footwear. This brand have incorporated premium cork fabric with a special finish that allows the shoes make with this material to endure with time. Naturally water-repellent, high resistance to frictions and tear are among the attributes that make Treec Footwear shoes unique in the market.
Additionally to the  resistance benefits of using cork fabric in the upper of the shoes, we can also understand the natural look of cork makes these pieces of footwear unique  - and believe me no pair looks the same! So if you want uniqueness, resistance together with sustainability check here Cultura Portuguesa collection of cork shoes or for cork fabric sandals here.