Every shoemaker I know dislikes shell cordovan for one or more perfectly understandable reasons (it should be obvious from that statement that I know no-one at Alden, which sells so many shell cordovan shoes that it might well perish without the stuff). Shell is very hard to sew by hand (hand-sewing being a significant part of the bespoke shoemaking value proposition), hard to color, warm to wear and does not look all that good because it does not really take a shine. By that set of criteria, the concept of a shell cordovan slipon seems silly, given that slipons are principally warm weather or indoor shoes. There is one application where the stuff shines however, dull though it may be otherwise, and that is for boots to be worn in the wet.
Shell cordovan's usefulness in the wet stems from the same characteristic that makes it warm wearing, that being that it resists moisture to a much greater extent than other leathers. Indeed, if a foot gets wet while encased in shell, it is almost certainly the fault of the shoemaker's seams rather than that of the material itself.
Which leads us to the one, now obvious, application for cordovan in shoes, that being not a shoe at all but a boot or two to wear during the rainy season and even light snow (heavy snows warrant overshoes, snow shoes, skis or, best of all in my opinion, a trip to a place with better weather). One pair on a town last and a less formal pair for slopping around is about right.
In the photo, Gaziano & Girling cordovan-colored shell cordovan boots posing as ordinary oxfords beneath a brown glen check tweed suit by Peter Harvey.
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7 comments:
Hmmmm. I've fallen out of love with cordovan, mainly because I think it is unnecessary in the Southern California climate (I say this, just as it is pouring outside!) and looks indelicate with the lighter-weight suitings to which I've become accustomed.
Beautiful cloth on those trousers!
Wonderful, and I love those trousers, too.
Well, this answers at least one question I had had, being Canadian and most unfortunately overrun with snow, ice and salt so soon in the season.
I've heard the same things regarding cordovan shells being hard to work with...a finicky hide to say the least and surely, if the Horween family decides to cease soaking and brining them for those of us who are crazy about cordovan, then it's game over...cordovan shell-wise.
But Will, with all do respect...For you to posit that shell cordovan doesn't shine and that it's a silly option for loafers is...is...your opinion.
ADG
Your experiences with shell echoes my own to the degree that I see little purpose to it except for its toughness. But even that toughness stands in contrast to the fact that a multitude of hazards to footwear that are common in my world can deface it. Therefore, I find some version of cow superior for most any use.
I remember when you introduced us to the suit in your photo. It’s one of my favorite cloths.
When I first got them (Alden's, of course), I thought they were "really nice". So I got 5 piars. 10 years later, they look as good as before, and with the torrential weather here for the last few months they've kept me dry and elegant when other leathers would've looked the beating.
But, they look best with flannel trousers. In fact, they look better than most other high-end shoes with flannel.
Of course, the hotter weather forces you to change flannel for lighter cloth and consequently different shoes.
To each his own. Shine takes a lot of elbow grease and far less cream than normal leather. I found that the more more you simply dry brush cordovans the better shine you get.
Will: I've never owned a pair of Cordovan shoes. Never. But I have to say the pic of yours look so good, so rich, that I'm going to think about it. When browsing in the Alden store on Madison I've alway thought the Oxford looked the best and (pace CG) I can see them with grey flannel. The patina on them is great.
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