You can definitely tell this is a synthetic fiber because it has a sheen when the pile is flattened out. At first I thought that would make it look cheap, but when you stand back and look at it, the flattened pile just makes the rug look like a lighter, silver color (which is how it appears in these pictures online). After you vacuum it and the pile is standing up, it looks darker (medium grey). So you really only notice the shininess of the fibers when you are inspecting it up close, something most guests to your home won't be doing. The variation in texture and color created by the high pile detracts from the shininess and prevents it from looking cheap. I have vacuumed it a few times with my fairly powerful Shark vac and it has held up, unlike some other rugs at this price point which can unravel when vacuumed. This is a sturdy and attractive synthetic rug for the price.