Kids' shoe materials

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From leather to shoe laces, we always choose our materials carefully and use them thoughtfully. In doing so, we always keep an eye on what the material has to achieve and whether the costs and benefits are in the right proportion. Wherever possible, our shoemakers work with particularly sustainable materials.

Our favorite materials for kids' shoes and what they can do

For those who want to know more, we’ve compiled a short overview of our materials:

Leather as a material for kids' shoes

There are good reasons that leather offers many advantages for the production of kids' shoes. The material is both breathable and supple. It’s also elastic, true to form and hard-wearing. In short, it’s perfect for the special needs of children. But leather has even more advantages. It absorbs body moisture and it keeps wetness out.

superfit Girls ABBY NOVA Boot with Zip/Elasic - Material: Nappa leather - Colour: Black

Smooth leather (nappa)

Nappa leather is very breathable, supple, elastic and hard-wearing. It absorbs body moisture and keeps moisture out. We use the grain side of the leather for our kids' shoes.

Nappa leather was originally the name for glove and clothing leather and was always known for its special softness. Today, however, it’s a collective term for particularly supple smooth leather of all animal species and uses.

superfit Boys TEDD Boot with Zip/Lacing - Material: Suede - Colour: Brown

Suede leather (suede & nubuck)

Nubuck leather is the grain side of the leather. This grain side is slightly rough, giving it a velvety character. It’s particularly fine and high-quality, but also more sensitive to dirt. If the flesh side, i.e. the “inner side”, is used it’s called suede. Here, no grain pattern is visible.

Good to know: Suede is made from the underside of the skin. Lamb is mostly used but calf, deer and elk are also commonly used.

superfit Girls, Boys BREEZE Sneakers high with Velcro Fastener - Material: Nubuck leather - Colour: Blue

VIOS-compliant leathers

Our VIOS-compliant leathers are manufactured in a resource-conserving way according to the strictest criteria: chrome-free, with exclusively natural colours and environmentally friendly materials.

As is the case with all of our materials, we only work with partner companies and production facilities that are committed to the strict criteria of the VIOS Restricted Substance List (RSL), whose limits go far beyond the minimum legal requirements.

A particularly environmentally friendly production and the shortest possible transport routes within the supply chain are a must for us. After all, we want to keep our CO2 footprint as low as possible.

Lining types for kids' shoes

The following applies to all linings: they come into direct contact with the child's foot. That's why their properties and quality, and absence of harmful substances are particularly important to us. The lining surrounds the child's foot from all sides and keeps the foot dry and warm. At the same time, the moisture balance in the shoe should be optimally regulated to prevent increased sweating and unpleasant odours as far as possible.

You can read here which properties characterise which type of lining and the linings we recommend for which foot type:

Leather lining

Leather is not only impressive as an upper material, but also as a lining thanks to its many advantages: it is skin-friendly, breathable, elastic and absorbs sweat and moisture extremely well. This prevents sweaty feet and regulates temperature – warming in cold weather and cooling in hot weather.

Its ability to absorb up to 30% water is unique. Important: Leather that has already become wet should be dried carefully.

At superfit, all leather insoles and inner linings are made of chrome-free tanned VIOS leather – particularly skin-friendly and sustainable, ideal for children's feet.

superfit Boys WHALEY Sneakers high with Velcro Fastener - Material: Nubuck leather - Colour: Blue

Textile lining

The most important materials for textile linings are cotton and viscose.

Cotton is not only organic and breathable, but also keeps the shape of the shoe when worn regularly.

Like cotton, viscose, the most important chemical representative of lining materials, has a high absorbency. In other words, high hygienic comfort for the feet.

superfit Girls BUBBLE Slipper with Velcro Fastener - Material: Textile - Colour: Blue

Synthetic lining

In contrast to natural materials such as leather, synthetic linings absorb little water. Polyester only manages 0.5% of its own weight, polyamide between 3 and 8.5%. However, synthetic fabrics can withstand high loads, they dry quickly and are very easy to care for.

Our warmly lined winter shoes are therefore equipped with a synthetic lining to ensure optimum comfort, easy care and quick drying.

superfit Girls STELLA Sneakers high with Zip/Lacing - Material: Effect leather - Colour: Brown

GORE-TEX® membrane: waterproof material for kids' shoes in all weathers

GORE-TEX® is an ideal material for kids' shoes. Incorporated between the upper and the lining, it has excellent properties: whether the children jump into a puddle, romp in the snow or go for a walk in the rain – their feet stay dry and the shoe provides a pleasant climate for the foot.

GORE-TEX® is waterproof and windproof, but it allows water vapour (body moisture) to escape and is therefore breathable. The GORE-TEX® membrane contains microscopically small pores. These are 20,000 times smaller than water drops, but 700 times larger than water vapour molecules. Therefore, no water can get through from the outside, but the moisture from the feet easily makes it through the pores.

This is also the big advantage over the indisputably waterproof rubber boots: GORE-TEX® footwear regulates the temperature and the release of moisture, and the child has a pleasant, dry feeling in the shoe.

Sympatex® membrane: sustainable and high-performance material for kids' shoes

The Sympatex® membrane offers a perfect combination of functionality and sustainability. It is waterproof, windproof and breathable, providing reliable protection in wet weather. Made from hydrophilic polyether and hydrophobic polyester, it efficiently wicks moisture away to the outside, while breathability actually increases with increasing activity.

The material not only offers excellent protection against moisture and wind, but is also highly stretchable. This flexibility makes it possible to produce shoes that adapt perfectly to the shape of the foot and offer maximum comfort.

The Sympatex® membrane also scores points for its environmental friendliness: it is made from recycled materials and can be recycled after use. Its non-porous structure ensures that dirt and grease do not impair its breathability. As a 100% climate-neutral, PTFE- and PFAS-free membrane, it meets the highest environmental standards, including OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and bluesign® certifications.

Textiles as a material for kids' shoes: linen, cotton & co.

Textile isn’t just used as a lining in shoes, it also makes a brilliant appearance as an upper material. As soon as the topic of leisure comes into play, materials such as linen, cotton or viscose as well as polyamide or polyester also become interesting. A pictogram in every superfit shoe shows which material the surface is made of. These can be the following:

Natural fibres: Natural fibres are all substances that occur in nature. These can be of animal, plant or mineral origin. Animal materials include, among others, the virgin wool from merino sheep.

Tweed, loden and felt, which are all made of wool, or vegetable fibres such as cotton and linen are also fashionable. Thanks to their cooling properties, the latter are particularly popular for making summer shoes.

Chemical fibres: Chemical fibres don’t occur in nature and have to be produced with the help of chemical processes. All cellulose-based fibres are basically made of organic substances. The natural raw materials can be based on woods such as spruce or beech, for example. A great advantage of these materials is their colour fastness. Among other things, viscose is well known. In contrast to natural fibres, it conducts heat quickly. Among other things, viscose is well known. In contrast to natural fibres, it conducts heat quickly.

Polyamide, polyester, polyacrylic and spandex - an overview

The raw materials of these textiles consist of synthetic man-made fibres, usually produced from monomers. They are also called "synthetics".

Polyamide: The umbrella term for nylon and perlon, promises high elasticity and low moisture absorption. Textiles made of polyamide are therefore good companions for all outdoor activities, but have poor hygienic properties because they absorb little or no sweat.

Polyester: Is just as tear and abrasion-resistant as polyamide, but it’s also extremely light and insensitive to temperature. High elasticity and good resilience contrast with the lowest moisture absorption of all synthetic fibres.

Polyacrylic or "acrylic: Has the advantage that it dries very quickly because of its low moisture absorption. It’s soft and can retain heat well.

Spandex: Is called tessuto in the manufacture of footwear. Because it’s very elastic, it adapts to almost any foot or calf shape.