Man-made material for shoes is a no-no - after having foot surgery years ago, my podiatrist warned me strongly to only wear leather (breathable!) shoes and after the experience of the surgery, no man-made material has ever touched my feet. I wouldn't step foot in a Payless if my life depended on it. Move to Famous Footwear - you can get the real thing there at a discount price.
What is PVC material?
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Man-made material for shoes is a no-no - after having foot surgery years ago, my podiatrist warned me strongly to only wear leather (breathable!) shoes and after the experience of the surgery, no man-made material has ever touched my feet. I wouldn't step foot in a Payless if my life depended on it. Move to Famous Footwear - you can get the real thing there at a discount price.
bebe, Google is your friend - check out this wikipedia article, in particular under the Health and Safety section #5:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride
First of all, I am sure if you are paying $300 for a PVC bag (or in my cases, $1000 for LV coated canvas bags,) and if it were to be "poisoness." It will make the news and you can return it for a refund.
However, it is far more likely that your 5 dollar fake leather bag is poisonous than that $300 Burberry bag.
I own a lot of "man made" material bags... Lots of designer brands are fabric/canvas with leather trim/handles/strap, for example some of the HERMES Garden bags/city totes, LV Monogram/Ebene/Azur/MC (which is something that they are know for coated canvas,) Dior, Gucci, etc.
I really don't care what they are made of as long as the bag fits me need and I like the style. Leather bags can range from $5-$50,000. PVC bags can range the same, so don't worry about the material, just choose what you like.
As for being ANIMAL/ECO friendly... I guess, one can never win, if you wear leather bags, then you are "killing" animals. You wear "PVC=plastic bags" then you are making landfill (then again, who in the right mind will throw away their authentic LV?)
So maybe it is time to suggest that all designers to be making MAN MADE MATERIAL BAGS that are BIO DEGRADABLE. But until then, I guess I will be sticking to my DESIGNER PVC/COATED CANVAS or leather. So shoot me.
However, it is far more likely that your 5 dollar fake leather bag is poisonous than that $300 Burberry bag.
I own a lot of "man made" material bags... Lots of designer brands are fabric/canvas with leather trim/handles/strap, for example some of the HERMES Garden bags/city totes, LV Monogram/Ebene/Azur/MC (which is something that they are know for coated canvas,) Dior, Gucci, etc.
I really don't care what they are made of as long as the bag fits me need and I like the style. Leather bags can range from $5-$50,000. PVC bags can range the same, so don't worry about the material, just choose what you like.
As for being ANIMAL/ECO friendly... I guess, one can never win, if you wear leather bags, then you are "killing" animals. You wear "PVC=plastic bags" then you are making landfill (then again, who in the right mind will throw away their authentic LV?)
So maybe it is time to suggest that all designers to be making MAN MADE MATERIAL BAGS that are BIO DEGRADABLE. But until then, I guess I will be sticking to my DESIGNER PVC/COATED CANVAS or leather. So shoot me.
joy&lv i LOVED your last response, spot on 
As for PU shoes ruining your feet- i don't think so! As apart from when i was wee and my mum bought me Clarks real leather shoes then i have always worn PU shoes and my feet are fine. I can walk in 5inch stilettos all night long if i so wish, can go on long hikes, jog, work-out, etc....never had a problem. If you have problems with your feet then i doubt it is due to the material of the shoes that you are wearing...
As for PU shoes ruining your feet- i don't think so! As apart from when i was wee and my mum bought me Clarks real leather shoes then i have always worn PU shoes and my feet are fine. I can walk in 5inch stilettos all night long if i so wish, can go on long hikes, jog, work-out, etc....never had a problem. If you have problems with your feet then i doubt it is due to the material of the shoes that you are wearing...
^Maybe i mis-interpreted your post then. It is just that some people (NOT saying you) will set out to give people the impression that folks should only be wearing real leather shoes unless they want bad feet...which is untrue. Plenty of reasons to have bad feet- wearing the incorrect shoe size, wearing flat shoes for too long (as yes, despite ideas to the contrary, totally flat shoes are worse for your foot health than heels are) or even standing for too long periods of time. Even arthritis and osteoporosis will do your feet in, my mum has only ever worn real leather shoes, she is a stickler for it, doesn't of course help her now that she suffers with these diseases as her bones have grown out of alignment and are crumbling regardless...
PU Leather is when a Polyurethane sheet is applied to a thin leather back when used in the furniture industry. A leather pattern can be stamped on the PU to make it look and feel like top grain leather.
PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride is also manufactured in a similar manner but is normally placed on a cotton or polyester backing. Pattern can also be applied to the surface. PVC can be a more durable surface than PU, but usually it does not feel like leather.
Which is better, leather or PVC?
It really depends upon your lifestyle. PVC is low maintenance and would be more suitable in a high traffic home, where you have pets, children, etc. running around. On the other hand, Leather requires a bit more maintenance. It is really your preference that matters the most.
Synthetic leather has been manufactured in the U.S. since 1963. Since then, technology has advanced, and these days, its often impossible to tell the difference between leather and synthetic leather without looking at labels. Synthetic leather is now widely used because of its uniformity, ease of care, versatility, breathability, ability to hold dye, durability, and many other advantages.
Many top name brands use PVC leather or PU leather because it quiets animal activists while at the same time providing the leather look and feel that many individuals like.
Now, I would never pay $300 for a purse made of any type of synthetic leather. I sell purses on Amazon. Some are leather, but most are either PU leather or PVC leather. All of my purses sell for $40 or less. I just can't comprehend selling a PVC purse for $300. Sorry I wish I could make you feel better on your purse buy, but I am angry that someone would charge you that ourtragous price.
PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride is also manufactured in a similar manner but is normally placed on a cotton or polyester backing. Pattern can also be applied to the surface. PVC can be a more durable surface than PU, but usually it does not feel like leather.
Which is better, leather or PVC?
It really depends upon your lifestyle. PVC is low maintenance and would be more suitable in a high traffic home, where you have pets, children, etc. running around. On the other hand, Leather requires a bit more maintenance. It is really your preference that matters the most.
Synthetic leather has been manufactured in the U.S. since 1963. Since then, technology has advanced, and these days, its often impossible to tell the difference between leather and synthetic leather without looking at labels. Synthetic leather is now widely used because of its uniformity, ease of care, versatility, breathability, ability to hold dye, durability, and many other advantages.
Many top name brands use PVC leather or PU leather because it quiets animal activists while at the same time providing the leather look and feel that many individuals like.
Now, I would never pay $300 for a purse made of any type of synthetic leather. I sell purses on Amazon. Some are leather, but most are either PU leather or PVC leather. All of my purses sell for $40 or less. I just can't comprehend selling a PVC purse for $300. Sorry I wish I could make you feel better on your purse buy, but I am angry that someone would charge you that ourtragous price.
I don't know about that. I am 41, I have never worn heels for any extended length of time, and my feet are just fine. Heels are known to be absolutely horrible for feet, period. A pair of shoes that are properly fitted and have good support with no or a low heel are best. The higher the heel the more pressure you're putting on your toes and the ball of your foot. Pressure should be distributed evenly.
I have to defend PVC/coated canvas here. People can get hang-ups about all-leather bags, but I find the coated canvas great and tremendously hard-wearing. I have had a Gucci monogram cc tote (with leather trim and handles)for nearly fifteen years and it's still pretty much perfect. I DO understand people not being willing to pay serious money for non-leather bags, but style and durability are what do it for me. Recently I bought a coated canvas Orla Kiely bag for the summer. I carried it almost exclusively throughout my Spring break, threw it around etc and it still looks brand new. Not too expensive either, at 150 euros. Having said all that, most of my bags are leather. And Burberry is a tremendous brand, so I wouldn't worry about the quality.
Yes but COMPLETELY flat shoes are known to be a real problem is what i am saying, wearing totally flat shoes (ecpecially as a youngster) can cause fallen arches and other foot problems...
Heels are only known to be PART of a problem of bad feet ailments, most problems are attributed to being hereditary, and then of course wearing the incorrect footwear (which includes size, shape, etc...)
Nowhere can i read that PU causes these problems which was my original point, wearing real leather is no better for the feet than wearing PU, infact there is a whole thread in the celebrity section of celebrities nasty feet problems and of course all of these celebrities wear Louboutins and other high end designer shoes....
platinum_girly said:
I have a high arch finding the right flip-flops is such a chore bc I can't just use inserts.
PU makes my feet sweat I can't stand it.
And walking on two feet destroys our backs bc if we were to walk on all 4s our abs would be might tighter and in balance with the antagonistic lower back muscles .(do a plank for 60 seconds I'll see what I mean) Heels make me flex my abs so much I love wearing them but I wear sneakers often too. Many women arch their back and do a" pelvic anterior rotation"(google images ) to stick their butts out . Jumping squats will puff ur defied (try doing 30 -keep abs tight) hehe
Once in a while in wear my timberland wedges on the elliptical ... My knees/quads scream I swearrrr
I think the body should be conditioned versatile there is no one way bc all the "correct form" in true biology went out the window when humans walked on 2 feet.
Most people can't do dips, forget pushups... Never mind pullups...
But PU shoes? Sweattt .... Feels like I'm wearing non waterproof shoes on a rainy day
