Many people complain about how hot and hurtful their boots are when working. The effect is that such boots will prevent you from delivering well on your job because of the all-day discomforting feeling. However, some boots can become comfortable, and stop feeling too hot, while others won’t.
So, the question of how can I make my boots more breathable will always come to your mind. Although light materials are a must for boots to be breathable, insoles can also make a difference. Putting a good and soft insole in your boot gives your foot a comfortable feeling. Other strategies are available to achieve the same thing.
So, read more to know why you need breathable boots and how you can make your boot breathable.
Contents
What Is A Breathable Boot?
Breathable boots are boots that manufacturers make with materials that let water vapor leave from the interior of the shoe. Also, it lets in cool air from outside the shoe. Breathable boots prevent the accumulation of wetness inside that can cause your foot to have infections.
Breathable boots are perfect for reducing foot sweat. Since they allow air in and out of it, they reduce the chance of your foot getting sweaty. If eventually you sweat, the material gives room for the sweat to evaporate off the boot and dry faster. The materials of breathable boots are net-like and have gigantic holes that allow air to pass through them.
History Of Breathable Shoes
Breathable work boots have existed since the 1990s till date. You can find them in any boot store around you now. An Italian entrepreneur, Mario Moretti Polegato, who was from a family of winemakers, formulated the concept of breathable shoes. He visited the wine fair in Nevada, USA, in the early 1990s and had a terrible encounter.
While the fair was going on, his shoes got overheated because of their soles. So Mario made holes to allow his shoe to breathe from the under part. The experience made him venture into the path of making breathable shoes.
What They Used To Make Breathable Shoes?
Since 1990, when breathable shoes were first created, they have developed other means of making these shoes. Currently, breathable shoes don’t need to have hole-cuts on them. In addition, recent breathable boot inventions have other materials that enhance breathability.
Usually, shoes have multiple soles. The soles are three, the outsole, the midsole, and the insole. The insole gains contact with the foot directly.
They make the top layer of a breathable boot waterproof, breathable. Also, little water-absorbing wrap of extended polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
There are over 1billion holes per square centimeter in the little water-absorbing layer of the e-PTFE. It is larger than 1molecule of water vapor and smaller than the smallest water drop. So, water can’t penetrate the layer, but sweat from the inside can evaporate out of the layer.
Difference Breathable And Non-Breathable Boots
Breathable and no-breathable boots have obvious differences. Some of them include
Breathability
The production materials of a breathable boot make it open to receiving and letting out air. In addition, they made some breathable boots with heat-resistant features that keep your foot cool and away from heat.
Non-breathable boots do not allow air through them. The heat accumulates inside, and there’s no cooling technology to cool one’s foot. So, after a long day, your leg will be hot and sweaty the boot becomes smelly.
Comfort
Breathable boots are convenient for work use. Even when the sun is raging hot, you are sure not to get too much heat on your foot. The comfort the boot gives is not just for a few minutes or hours. Breathable boots a comfortable to wear for a long period.
However, you may be comfortable in a non-breathable boot for the first few minutes. But after a while, you will feel like taking it off. The heat becomes unbearable, and your feet sweat, bringing you discomfort and sometimes restlessness.
Some people spend long hours at work, on work boots. If the boots are breathable, they won’t have any cause to worry or hurriedly take off the boots.
Conducive production materials
The materials manufacturers used to make breathable boots are mostly lightweight materials. Also, the ones they use for the interior part of the boots are soft. The fabrics the producers use have tiny holes in them.
Manufacturers make non-breathable boots for an elongated life span. So, they use hard materials, so they don’t get faulty easily. But, as much as this is good, it can also cause the user’s foot to be infected because of excessive heat.
High cost
The practical application in breathable shoes is patent-protected. The sole rights given to manufacturers are patent rights. It is expensive to register a patent, and for this reason, breathable boots are as well expensive.
Non-breathable shoes are not under patent rights, so they don’t have to be expensive. The inventors define their price based on production cost and profit, not any extra charge.
Why Do You Need Breathable Work Boots?-Who Needs It?
Everyone needs at least a pair of breathable work boots. But people with sweaty feet need them the most. Breathable work boots help users to avoid sweaty and smelly feet. Furthermore, your boot will smell after a long working day if it is not breathable.
Materials like cotton are excellent for the warm season of the year. They let air pass through their little holes. Cooler air is free to enter the cloth while hot air leaves, providing steady comfort. The fabric doesn’t keep heat enclosed in it. It is comfortable to wear for long hours.
But for shoes, materials like plastics, polyvinyl chloride, or polyurethane are what manufacturers use. Rubbers are non-breathable materials because they don’t allow heat or sweaty to escape from the shoe. However, breathable shoes have a water-absorbing layer on the sole upper, and it lets heat leave.
How Can I Make My Boots More Breathable?
How can I make my boots more breathable? Aside from going back in time and boring holes in your boot, there is no way to make a non-breathable boot breathable without damaging it. There are only ways to manage it. Possibly, you have a non-breathable boot already, and you may not want to replace it with a breathable boot. However, you can use some reliable measures to manage it.
Here are a few methods to utilize your non-breathable boot:
1. Introduce shoe inserts
You can make your boots almost breathable by putting shoe inserts, otherwise known insoles, in your boot. The International Hyperhidrosis Society recommends using shoe inserts for your non-breathable boots. Insoles can absorb the sweat if your foot gets sweaty since cool air can’t enter your boot. Also, it can keep your foot dry for as long as it is not too soaked to take in moisture.
2. Foot powder
One way is applying foot powder before you wear your boot. You can use it on your feet directly or apply it to your boots. We advise you to wash your feet thoroughly before rubbing the foot powder. When you rub, ensure to cover all bases. You can use talcum powder, cornstarch, or baking soda, and they will work well.
3. Use spray
You can use antiperspirant spray to spray in the boots. This spray helps keep the boot and your foot dry. It is very effective, and it makes a better solution to powdering your feet or boot. However, we strongly advise against combining foot powder and antiperspirant spray.
4. Wear suitable socks
Make sure your socks are suitable for your non-breathable boot. The socks act as an obstruction between your feet and boots. Socks that have good absorbance potency will suck off the sweat from your feet and leave them dry. Preferably, get socks that have an antimicrobial lining.
5. Proper maintenance
Keeping your work boots dry and clean is also effective in sustaining dry feet in a non-breathable boot. You should clean your work boot a minimum of once every week. You also need to dry them every day when you return from work.
6. Maintain clean feet
Make sure your feet are clean before wearing your boots. Wash your feet with soap and clean water before and after wearing your boot. Wearing your socks or boots with dirty feet is one of the many reasons your feet get infected. In addition, the infection can get worse when it meets your sweat.
Conclusion
When your feet get too sweaty, it can generate an awful odor in your boot and even your feet. You may get foot infections if you don’t find a solution to the problem. A simple solution is getting a breathable boot. Also, keeping your foot and boot clean can help.
Since how can I make my boot more breathable doesn’t have a straight answer, we recommend managing your non-breathable boot instead. Apply the strategies we’ve shared above to make things easier. But if the sweaty feet get too bad and out of control, buy a breathable boot.
