Shell cordovan is a vegetable tanned leather that comes exclusively from a horse butt. The outstanding peculiarity of horsehide from the butt area lies in the presence of a dense mass of collagen fibres, so compact as to render leather from the butt naturally waterproof and nearly air tight. The position of the hide containing the dense mass of fibres is known as the shell. In the late 19th century, shell cordovan was sold under the name “Spiegelware”, which translates to “mirror goods”.
For our first GMTO, we have chose for a Full Strap Penny loafer. We have a few places left in our GMTO, which you can join through this link.
]]>Introducing one of our most popular models this fall, the Ambly 3-eyelet Chukka boot in Chestnut Jamaica Kudu.
It is important to understand first that leather is a natural product, and we believe in using it as such. We craft our shoes from only full grain leather, which comes from the top and premium part of the hide. At the tannery in France, the leather is finished with a natural aniline based dye, resulting in a translucent finish as opposed to an unnatural, polymer topcoat. The aniline finish yields a rich, luxurious feel and most importantly, it retains the hide’s natural surface grain.
The pores, and by nature the irregular surface grain, reflect the leather in many directions. To polish or shine your shoes is thus nothing more than filling up these pores with natural creams and waxes, until the final layer of polish reflects the light in (mostly) a singular direction.
Step 1. Always use a shoehorn
Between the leather upper and leather lining, at the heel, there is a heel counter designed to cup the heel of your foot. It prevents your heels from lifting while you walk. In order not to damage the heel counter and top line of your shoes, using a shoehorn is a must.
Step 2. Always use wooden shoetrees
Probably the most important step of all, but also the one that is most often overlooked. The leather lining, leather upper, leather insole, natural cork foot bed and leather welt… are all made from natural materials, and thus are prone to the detrimental effects of moisture. Coming from the feet, moisture that remains trapped inside the shoes could cause the leather to crack, the insole to warp, the welt to harden and the cork foot bed to decay.
Natural, untreated wooden shoetrees are the single most important item to keep help your shoes maintain their original shape. Immediately after wear, the trees absorb the excess moisture inside the shoe, helping the shoes to dry from the inside out. Other than this, wooden shoetrees straighten out the insole, outsole and leather upper, preventing it from cracks and creasing.
Step 3. Keep your shoes clean
Keeping your shoes free from dirt in between wears is done by brushing the upper and the welt area (the area between the shoe upper, and the sole). A shoe dirt brush should not be the most expensive one of the lot, but nor should it be too coarse.
Before polishing your calf leather shoes, take a soft brush and clean your shoes from mud and dirt. If you don’t do this, the cream and wax that will be applied on the leather, will only lock in the dirt further. It is a good idea to use a damp rag for this step as well, if your shoes are particularly dirty. If you do this, use a damp, clean cotton rag, and swiftly go over the entire shoe. Allow the shoes to completely dry before going to the next step.
Step 4. Properly condition the leather
Just as with our own skin, untreated leather will dry out over time and become brittle. Regular application of a leather conditioner is recommended to keep leather supple and hydrated. People often tend to use oils for this, but in fact this is not your safest bet. A general rule here is that it is important to restore the moisture and oil content the leather had after tanning. This means that regular calf leather does not benefit from the addition of oil (except a few natural oils, to a certain degree), but rather moisture and protein. In fact, oil might soften the leather at first, but will dry out the leather quicker over time.
While there are many leather moisturizing products on the market, we recommend Saphir Renovateur for use on calf leather shoes. It can be used either just before polishing your shoes, or as a standalone product between wears. To apply, use a clean, soft cotton cloth wrapped around one or two fingers. Apply a small amount of Saphir Renovateur to the shoes in small circular motions.
Often overlooked, the welt area is one of the most vulnerable parts of a Goodyear welted shoe. With this type of welt, the insole, leather upper and welt are stitching together. This results in probably the strongest shoe on the market. To make sure the welt area is well protected, take a small brush (a welt brush is one option, but a toothbrush will also suffice) and work in small amount of grease or dubbin in between the welt and the shoe upper.
Step 5. Restore colour with natural shoe cream
Probably the step we are all most acquainted with, to restore the colour of the shoe with shoe cream. When using a natural based shoe cream (the only one that should be used), this also helps to nourish and moisture the leather further. Using a small brush applicator or cotton cloth apply a small amount of cream to the entire upper, working it into the leather with circular movements. A slightly damp cloth can spread out the cream, but this is certainly not necessary.
Step 6. Apply natural wax for high shine
For those that prefer a high shine instead of a subtle lustre, there is step six. Achieving a high shine on your shoes is not that easy as it seems, and one must take into account some ‘rules’. First of all, it is again recommended to use only natural waxes, since ‘instant shine’ products will always contain aggressive solvents and silicones. Further, you should only try to high shine the rigid parts of a shoe, because if you build up a layer of wax on the part of a shoe that flexes, it will be pushed out of the pores and just look awful. Finally, to shine your shoes to a gloss finish, all one needs is a cotton rag, wax and some water (or spit). Notice how we said some water.
The toecap is the easiest place to start. Take your cotton rag, and twist it over one or two fingers. Make sure you create an even surface. Lightly swipe your cloth across the wax, and apply a first layer to the shoes. Again, work the wax in circular and very light movements. When you start to see clouds appear in the wax, moisten your cloth every so lightly, swipe across the wax, and start over. Repeat these steps until a high shine appears. Depending on how shiny you want your shoes to look, this can take between half an hour, and up to 2 or 3 hours.
The biggest mistake made here, is to use too much water. Too much water will wet the leather, and will nullify the shining effect by showing through as a matt spot. When you notice you have used too much water, let the shoes dry completely before you continue.
Step 7. The final touch
Step 7 is optional, but desirable if you want to look your best. After the shoes have been conditioned, creamed and waxed, walk in them for only a few seconds. Then take a soft cotton cloth or brush, and give them a final swipe to remove any excess cream or wax.
Step 8. Rotate
Together with the use of shoetrees, rotating your shoes daily will extend the life of your shoes the most. Everyone transpires through his or her feet, even if you do not notice it. This causes the shoes to get moist on the inside, and the leather to warp. Also, why would you want to wear the same pair of shoes every day?
]]>The split toe derby model presumably originates from Norway, where it was worn by fishermen. Fishermen needed a sturdy, water resistant shoe, which required a pattern with as few seams as possible. The original split toe derby would have had no heel counter and a skin stitched toe, leaving only a single stitch line at the back where water could potentially pass.
Our version, the George, takes a slightly different approach. There is the presence of a heel, and the vamp and upper pieces are stitched together in a raised manner. Together with the inside-out stitching of the toe, this balances the pattern and makes for a very striking shoe, especially in grained leather or suede. It is almost always built on our specifically designed Contemporary Almond last, which features a narrow heel and waist, medium instep height and medium width across the ball. It has a slightly finer toe and more symmetric shape, which makes it the ideal last for the split toe derby model.
The George featured here uses Utah calf leather, tanned only by the infamous Alsacian Tannerie Haas from France. Dating back to 1842, no less than 6 generations have honed the intricate art of leather tanning. Locally sourced hides, hand selected for the tightness of their grain, are vegetable tanned and stuffed with a mixture of no less than 9 different fats and oils. The resulting suppleness of he leather is what makes Utah calf so unique, and highly praised after by shoe enthusiasts.
It should come as no surprise then, that there is a waiting list, and a long one at that. The fact that only the best hides are selected, and the time intensive tanning process, do not make it any easier. We do 4 production runs per year, and all of them almost completely sell out by the time the shoes hit the shelves.
If you're interested in owning a pair, the George Split Toe Derby in Ebony Utah grain is on permanent pre-order through this link: https://tinyurl.com/yx9rs8d4
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A lot of customers were asking for more visuals, so we dipped our toe in the water and teamed up with Vladimir Riché, an overall stand up guy and friend since a couple of years. Vladimir launched his YouTube channel not long after we launched the brand, so it seemed an obvious choice.
For this unboxing video, we chose the George Split Toe derby, as it is our most popular model from the start and this season we offer it in a number of different leather options.
Have a look and enjoy the video, subscribe to Vladimir's channel, or be persuaded into your overy own pair!