Why is cork used in footwear?

You must have seen cork used in wine bottles as cap but wondering why is cork used in footwear?
Cork is proven to be one of the most effective material for multiple applications such as in flooring, construction industry, personal belongings such as wallet etc. and also very effective in making footwear.
Natural cork is brittle and normally mixed with either rubber or latex to make cork footbeds with which footwear is made.
Cork footbeds used in making footwear having the following benefits:-
1. It evenly distributes body weight thus improving body posture
2. Improvement in body posture leads to a reduction in knee, ankle and heel pain
3. Takes shape of one's feet which gives your footwear customized fit just like made to order footwear
4. Cork footbed is also shock absorbent thus ensuring your feet are safe and secure while you are walking and especially when the road or surface you are waking on is uneven
5. Cork is also moisture repelling which makes it perfect to wear it everywhere be it on the beach, during monsoons or your travel
6. The best part about cork is that it is eco-friendly and harvested on cork oak trees and harvested once every 5 to 7 years. It can also be easily recycled and reused
7. Lastly, cork looks very natural and rustic giving it to the perfect natural look. So bye-bye to plastic and rubber footwear
There are a number of brands which offers cork footwear but do check whether it is natural cork because a lot of brands give a 'cork like look' but use some artificial material which will not give you the desired benefits.
Cork is grown mainly in Portugal and in a small part in Spain which together constitutes 80% of cork production globally and caters to the global demand.