a
trademark for a
synthetic material
developed in the 1900s and used in the manufacture of shoes, belts, handbags, etc. Produced by the E. I.
du Pont Nemours &
Company (a large
American manufacturer of chemical,
plastic and
synthetic products), Corfam was
similar to leather but had many advantages. It was lighter, more flexible, required no polishing and "breathed" easily, meaning
moisture and air could travel through it. However it did not stretch or conform to the foot as leather did. Its
manufacturing expenses also increased beyond expectancy and
production ceased in 1971.