The paper aims to illustrate three advantages of IR thermography as a nondestructive, noncontact and real time technique, (a) to observe the progressive damage processes and mechanisms of leather failure, and (b) to detect the occurrence of intrinsic dissipation localization. The parameter, investigated in this paper, is the heat generation due to intrinsic dissipation caused by inelasticity and/or inelasticity of leather. It readily describes the damage location and the failure evolution of leather for sport foot-wear.