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Cork soles for sandals and wedges light and comfortable – Natural solutions for summer collections

Jan 12, 2026 | News

Cork soles for sandals and wedges light and comfortable are one of the most appreciated solutions for brands and footwear manufacturers that want to offer high-quality summer collections, with a strong focus on comfort and natural materials. Agglomerated cork is a material that combines lightness, strength, shock absorption and a warm, tactile appearance, making it ideal for expressing the summer mood of sandals, wedges and casual footwear.

Why choose cork soles for sandals and wedges

Cork is not just a natural material; it is a real positioning choice. Using cork soles for sandals and wedges light and comfortable means offering the end customer a product perceived as healthier, more sustainable and more in line with a lifestyle oriented towards wellbeing.

From a technical point of view, agglomerated cork offers:

  • excellent shock absorption capacity;
  • good resistance to compression;
  • a warm and comfortable feel underfoot;
  • low weight, ideal for shoes that are worn all day long.

Moreover, the natural texture of cork matches easily with uppers in leather, fabric, technical or vegan materials, and fits both fashion collections and more casual or comfort-oriented lines.

Sandals and wedges: summer look and stability

Sandals and wedges are among the most popular footwear styles for spring and summer seasons. In this context, cork soles make it possible to combine aesthetics and stability:

  • in wedges, agglomerated cork can be shaped in different heights and silhouettes, maintaining a good balance between volume and weight, giving height and elegance without overloading the foot;
  • in sandals, cork can be used for both thinner units and multi-layer constructions, possibly combined with other materials such as EVA or rubber to enhance grip and cushioning.

This versatility allows brands and manufacturers to create coordinated collections, with several models sharing the same aesthetic language and materials, but with different heights and constructions.

Comfort and foot wellbeing

One of the main reasons for choosing cork soles for sandals and wedges light and comfortable is the wearing experience. Cork offers a soft yet supportive feel, surrounding the foot without being too rigid or excessively yielding.

In particular:

  • the structure of the material helps distribute body weight more evenly;
  • its natural shock-absorbing properties reduce fatigue while walking;
  • combining cork with anatomical insoles or shaped footbeds can further increase perceived comfort.

For these reasons, cork is often chosen for footwear designed for people who spend many hours on their feet but still want a refined and well-designed shoe.

Aesthetic customization and finishes

In addition to its technical characteristics, cork also has strong aesthetic value. PBS Soles can manufacture cork soles for sandals and wedges light and comfortable with different finishing options:

  • exposed cork for a natural and handcrafted look;
  • coloured or transparent coatings to protect the material and emphasise its texture;
  • combinations with inserts in other materials, such as side bands in rubber, EVA or TPU;
  • the possibility of coupling cork with customized outsoles to improve grip and durability.

This way, the brand can use the sole as a true design element, coordinating it with colours and style choices across the collection.

Cork soles and sustainability

Cork is a renewable material, obtained from the bark of the cork oak without cutting down the tree. This makes it particularly interesting for brands that want to bring sustainability and environmental responsibility into their collections.

Using cork soles for sandals and wedges light and comfortable allows you to:

  • reduce the proportion of fully synthetic materials;
  • clearly communicate the value of a more natural choice to the end customer;
  • enrich product storytelling with information about materials and sourcing.

When combined with other responsible decisions (certified uppers, sustainable packaging, controlled production), cork can become a key element in the brand’s positioning.

Production flexibility and small batches

PBS Soles supports footwear manufacturers and brands that want to integrate cork into their collections by offering the possibility to develop cork soles for sandals and wedges light and comfortable even in small batches, starting from 400 pieces.

This flexibility is ideal for:

  • summer capsule collections;
  • lines dedicated to specific markets;
  • testing new wedge heights or shapes;
  • special projects with individual retailers.

The technical team guides the client from concept to sample, helping choose thickness, geometry and any combinations with other materials.

A technical partner for your summer collections

Working with a specialized sole manufacturer like PBS Soles means relying on specific expertise in cork processing and in designing soles for sandals and wedges. The goal is to offer solutions that combine:

  • aesthetics consistent with the brand’s DNA;
  • real comfort for the wearer;
  • natural, high-quality materials;
  • efficient management of timing and production volumes.

Contact us to develop new cork soles for sandals and wedges light and comfortable, tailor-made for your next summer collections.

Do you have a specific project? Let's talk about it together

PBS Soles Srl supports you in developing custom soles, even for small batches or experimental collections. If you are looking for customized production, we can support you from the drawing stage to the finished bottom.

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