10 Things you don't know about the Leather World

The Leather world is so wide and it has many facets. Today we want to share with you 10 things you many not know about the leather industry.

Let's find out together these 10 facts:

1 . The leather industry generates more than $53.8 billion USD worldwide each year.

This fact represents a larger dollar value than the sale of rubber, cotton, coffee, tea, rice, and sugar – combined! 60% represents the leather footwear sales.

2. More than 26 Billion square feet of leather were produced in 2017

Can you believe that?

3. The first leather wallet was made in 1602

Wallets came concurrently with the introduction of paper money back in the 17^th century. 

4. White leather is the most difficult to produce.

Not all leathers are easy to dye. Especially white leather. It is very likely to crack and becoming stiff.

To have a great white leather a lots of steps and care are needed, so don’t be surprised if you walk into a leather store and see that the white products are more expensive than the others.

5. Leather was once used as a very stylish wallpaper.

In the 17th century, it was considered very fashionable to have at home walls with leather  wallpapered, specially in Florence and Venice (Italy).

6. Salmon Leather 

Probably this is the most curious facts of them all. You can buy leather which comes from the skin of a salmon. It has a unique look and it is very durable. The Salmon leather has become very popular in Iceland and Norway although it is not particularly well known in the rest of the world.

7. Leather changes its texture based on the environment

As leather contains pores, it changes in texture and appearance depending on the environment.  In a fairly humid environment, leather becomes softer as it soaks up the moisture that’s in the air so therefore, a dry environment makes the leather much stiffer. 

So it’s always a good idea to keep your leather items in a suitable environment.

8. An average person is wearing four articles made of leather everyday

Think about it. When people get ready for work every morning, they wear their clothes, maybe put on a belt (or not), wear their shoes, put on their watch and of course carry their wallet or a purse. Most of the times these articles are made with leather. So an average person carries minimum 4 leather items during the day!

9. Cowhide is the most popular skin.

This is probably due to the ease of its care, especially when given a protective finish or waterproofing. Cowhide also tends to be the thickest leather.

10. The first leather shoe made with a shoelace and holes was invented in 1790.

Even though leather footwear had been produced for thousands years, the first shoelace was produced in 1790. Want another fun fact? The first shoes assigned to left and right feet were invented in 1818.

How many of these facts about leather did you know? 

Let us know in the comment section.