One of the best ways to assess any shoe is based on the materials that a shoemaker uses. In the industry, there are so many different materials that a company can use, it’s quite crazy! For example, manufacturers can use any of the following materials:

Leather
Suede
Polyester
Rubber
Plastic
Wood
Fabric
Textile
Canvas

That’s just naming a few of the most common materials! As we evaluated each product, we carefully looked at the different materials that the manufacturer used and highlighted those that were made from the best materials, like leather.

The reason being, leather boots are typically the highest-quality as they are the most comfortable, durable, stable, and best for fitting.

If you are ever wanting to learn about the quality of the materials of a product, always look at the consumer reviews. Since this is a pertinent aspect, most people are discussing their thoughts on this standard.

Have you ever purchased a pair of shoes before, hoping that you could wear it everywhere? I mean, chances are, we are all guilty. Sometimes, the design of the shoe is just too good – outvaluing the actual importance of the shoe: the functionality and usability. When it comes to Punk Boots, we knew that many of the products that are marketed today suit better as holiday consume accessories rather than everyday wear.

Our goal with the criteria and standards was to separate these products and only focus on those that were designed to handle everyday walking. To do this, we carefully analyzed and research each boot based on how usable it really was.

Could someone walk around nature with this product?
Could someone walk around from class to class with these?
Could the product withstand daily walking?

By answering questions from the like above, we were able to narrow down our list even more.

Whenever it comes to picking out a pair of shoes or boots, one of the most important aspects that we need to look at is something called the midsole. Typically, consumers do pay close attention to the midsole; however, they don’t know the terminology that shoe gurus often use.

The midsole is considered the middle part of the interior of the shoe. This region is known to provide the support, cushioning, padding, and comfort that consumers are looking for when trying on a shoe.

Now, in standard shoes, companies use different padding, like EVA foam, thanks to its durable yet comforting properties. When it comes to Punk Boots, we noticed that not many brands in the industry focused on the midsole of their product. With that, we were slightly concerned that certain boots would not be comfortable, or valid enough at the point, for our list. We studied each boot, look at the midsole and insole region, and even looked at consumer reviews to see what previous consumers have said regarding the comfort of the product.

After researching and really skimming through the market, we found the best items, all which come with a comfortable midsole (and insole) so that consumers can enjoy their new product without fear of their feet hurting after an hour of wearing them.

Ah, the outsole. This is part of the footwear that holds it all together! As the name might imply, this is the sole of the shoe that can be found on the outside of the shoe. If you didn’t guess it already, it’s actually the bottom part any footwear and they are typically made or constructed from:

Natural Rubber
Carbon Rubber
Polyvinyl Chloride
Polyurethane

The reason behind this is that rubber and PVC are great for durability, but they are also great for wear and tear. With that being said, given that this market is all about boots, we knew going in that these brands most certainly invested some time and money into the development of this region.

What we found was that most outsoles on this list included some form of patented properties, including unique lugs, traction features, waterproof properties, and so much more. When picking out any product, these are important facets to take into consideration!

The last criterion that we looked at when picking out each product for today’s buying guide was the cost and value relationship. At the core, this principle is the ideology of looking at the price tag of a product and measuring whether or not it’s a good price, given the amount of value that the product offers.

Now, to figure this out, there are a few different things that we, as consumers, need to do. This does take a few extra minutes; however, it can pay off in the long run! The reason being, through understanding this relationship, you can avoid making a bad purchase!

Here’s how it works:

✓ Look at a wide variety of different products that you are looking for. For example, punk boots.
✓ Find the highest priced and lowest priced product to create an average for the industry.
✓ Assess a wide variety of products and look at the value that they offer.
✓ Look at the price tag and evaluate whether or not the value that the product offers is worth the price, considering the average price point from step 2.
✓ If the product is priced higher than the value, it’s not worth considering.