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Erik Peterson Tom James Company Tampa Sarasota St Petersburg Lakeland: What Make A Shell Cordovan Shoe So Special?
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FOR METICULOUS MEN, there are few accessories as coveted—and expensive—as shoes made from shell cordovan leather, a material prized for its durability, shine and resistance to creasing.
Lately, however, those looking to buy a pair have required not only deep pockets, but also an enormous amount of patience. Even if you are willing to part with $2,000 for a pair of navy oxfords by English shoemaker Edward Green, you will have to wait six months or longer to possess a pair.
A global shortage of cordovan over the past couple of years has caused a backlog of orders. Worse yet, the crimped supply came as demand for the pricey shoes spiked thanks to renewed interest in haute-crafted men's shoes.
Shell cordovan leather comes from the muscle beneath the hide in a small area around the rump of a horse. The shell is a layer of very dense fibers that, after a lengthy tanning process, yields leather that is particularly shiny and durable. When cordovan shoes scuff, a simple rub will erase the scratch. But since its ancient discovery by the Moors in the Spanish city of Cordoba (the town from which its name is derived), the material has been far scarcer than cow leather. A single horse provides only enough cordovan for a single pair of shoes.
Adding to its cost is a long processing time. At Horween Leather in Chicago, a major supplier to brands like Alden and Allen Edmonds, cordovan takes six months to tan. To compare, its Chromexcel leather made from adult cows takes just 28 days to finish. Finished cordovan can cost up to 10 times more than high-quality steer leather.
The current shortage only piles onto that baseline scarcity, and its effects are being felt all over. At Leffot, a high-end men's shoe store in New York, many luxury brands only offer their cordovan shoes made-to-order. While the shop stocks several styles by American label Alden, which start at $750, a pair of black seamless oxfords by shoemaker Saint Crispin's, which will set you back $2,400, take 10 weeks to arrive.
“A pair of black seamless oxfords by shoemaker Saint Crispin's, which will set you back $2,400, take 10 weeks to arrive.”
The Armoury, a men's boutique in Hong Kong, was forced to cut the wide range of styles it once carried from Spanish shoemaker Carmina to focus on a few that it could actually physically have in stock. "[The rest] just took forever," said Alan See, the store's founder. And Colin Hall, the chief marketing officer at Allen Edmonds, cited delays of up to a month for a pair of black oxfords.
As for the cause of the shortage, the answer lies in the complex dynamics of the hide market. The cordovan supply is determined by the consumption of horse meat, explained Nick Horween, the company's 30-year-old vice president and the fifth generation in his family's business. A century ago, when horses were still common transportation and horse meat was widely eaten, hides were plentiful.
But today, with world-wide consumption of equine flesh declining, hides are limited. Mr. Horween estimated that the company processes just 15% of the horsehide it used to take in when his ancestors started the company in 1905.
The cordovan shortage hit hard in late 2012. Suddenly, the raw shells stopped arriving at Mr. Horween's tannery. He described the supply drop as a "cyclical interruption," though he declined to elaborate further, citing sensitive supplier relations.
In the clubby world of men's high fashion, there are rumors and theories. Some blame hide speculators who snapped up skins as the price of leather was about to rise. Others point to Chinese shoe manufacturers, saying they bought up entire horsehides—which include both the coveted small rear shell pieces and the cheaper and larger front pieces—in lieu of more expensive steer hide when prices for the latter spiked to historic highs in 2012. However, there is little proof of either.
Matthew Abbott, technical sales director at tannery Joseph Clayton & Sons Ltd., based in Chesterfield, England, said the supply of hides was also hurt by a horse-meat scandal last year in the U.K. "There was nothing wrong with the meat, just that it was misidentified," he said. "But I suppose people didn't want anything to do with horse for a while."
Nevertheless, there is a glimmer of hope for those seeking a pair of loafers or oxfords. Mr. Horween reported that the hide supply began to return to pre-drought levels at the end of the last year, which means cordovan supplies for shoemakers may soon be back to normal. His advice to covetous shoppers: Sit tight. More is coming soon. That doesn't quite mean that cordovan shoes will be plentiful, however. "It's still not as much as the market wants," said Mr. Horween.
Find Your Favorite Pair of Horween Leather Shoes From Allen Edmonds:
