This week, we're talking about the different technologies that help combat a very common problem, especially in the hot summer months: hot feet.
Of course, there's no magic cure for good old-fashioned sweaty feet, but there are some technologies from shoe companies that can help you be a little more comfortable (and cooler) in your shoes during the summer.
THE MATERIAL
The material used to make your shoe is one of the first points to analyze to be comfortable and breathable in summer: is it a leather, suede or textile shoe?
You may have already guessed it, but textiles are the best choice if you don't want your feet to get too hot. Textiles are naturally more breathable than suede or leather. However, if you skate, you know that textiles aren't the first choice when it comes to durability, but to keep your feet cool, there's nothing stopping you from buying a second pair of shoes to wear when you're not skating and it's hot!
THE MESH
We've got something really interesting here! Mesh is a synthetic fiber structure that increases a shoe's breathability because, in other words, it's an open mesh that improves the shoe's ventilation. The favorite places to incorporate mesh into shoes are often on either side of the foot. This allows the foot to be well ventilated and the whole thing to breathe better!
A good example of mesh incorporated into the shoe: The New Balance 306, where we can see the mesh sections in gray on each side as well as the full tongue on top!
THE HOLES
There's no real fancy name for this, but it's really just holes. You can see them mostly on the top and side of the shoe. These are tiny holes that allow air to circulate better through the material. Vans actually introduced this idea to their UltraCush TM tongue by adding breathability holes all along the tongue to provide superior airflow.
For example, here we have the Vans Zahba, the latest model from Vans, which definitely incorporates the good old holes in the suede!
If you're lucky, you might be able to find a model like the Nike SB Ishod Wair, which has included everything you need in its design: holes on the top at the toe to ventilate the interior despite the use of leather and, in addition, large mesh sections on each side of the foot and under the tongue!
THE ULTIMATE SHOE FOR HOT SUMMER DAYS
Okay, all these ways to increase a shoe's breathability are pretty cool. However, there's one type of shoe that's much more effective in terms of breathability. The kind of thing you could wear all summer long, in the city or at the beach, with or without socks (it's up to you to decide if you're game or not) and which will solve all your foot breathability problems: the good old babouche!
You're lucky, we have different models of this too, so don't hesitate to look on our website or come and visit us in store and choose the shoe that suits you best!
