Leather or Textile Base material for Runnning Shoes?

Question

which is better and why?

Answer 1

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Interesting question, in light of the developments of running shoes over the decades!  When running shoes first hit the market in the late '60's, with a very few exceptions running shoes were made with leather uppers.  And now, it's a rare running shoe (I believe some the trail runners) that are made with real leather.

And for good reason.  Leather running shoes are (were) fairly stiff when you first buy them, leading to sore feet and blisters.  In time, with use, and sometimes because of getting wet, the leather stretches.  Getting the leather to stretch sounds like a good idea - for a while they conform perfectly to your feet.  

But leather stretching doesn't stop with conforming to the shape of your feet.  Leather continues to stretch until it's wider than your feet in some spots.  Consequently, the stretched out leather shoes no longer provide your feet - bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons - the support they need, leading to injuries that start with your feet and travel up to your knees and hips.

In contrast, textile (e.g., nylon) running shoes, if you get a good fitting pair (very important!), fit from the get-go - and continue to fit!  The textile doesn't stretch, and continues to provide your feet with the support they need for the life of the shoes - which is determined by the wear on the soles, not wear on the uppers.

So, definitely, textile over leather is better for running shoes.

Regards,

Phil

P.s., I think you could argue about smell, protection, appearance, weight, and durability.  Textile is superior in smell, weight, and durability.  Protection goes to leather.  Appearance, that's a toss-up.  The essential need for shoes is support, and for this, textile wins hands down!  (Or should I say, feet down!)