Nothing quite spices up a man’s outfit like a stylish pair of leather shoes. Boots, slip ons, bluchers… There are dozens of different styles of leather footwear, so finding the right pair to complement your 1 of a kind, handmade, DaLuca watch strap or any casual or business ensemble can usually be pretty simplistic.
What may not be so easy is trying to find the pair of leather shoes that will be sure to give you their money’s worth. Many a first time buyer has made the mistake of unknowingly investing in less-than-quality footwear, only to have the shoes themselves fall to pieces half of a year into wearing them.
It’s not a popular reality, but if you are seeking something that will last you a lifetime of regular use it is naturally going to have a higher price point than a product that will only last you a year or so of the same treatment. On any given day a $500 pair of loafers is going to last you much longer than a pair of $50 ones. In spending the extra money you are investing in reliability, style and of course quality.
Don’t let a price tag fool you, though. Just because a boutique is offering up a pair of stunning leather boots at a criminal rate doesn’t necessarily mean that they are quality.
The key to picking out a quality pair of shoes that could possibly last you a lifetime lives is the leather and craftsmanship behind the shoes themselves.
A dead giveaway of low quality leather (often known as “corrected grain leather”) is that it is almost always shinier than its quality counterparts and can seem a bit plastic like. The reason for this unnatural shininess lies in the fact that corrected grain leather is typically a type of leather with some sort of defect in its grain. In order to make them saleable, the producers of this leather have to stamp it with a type of finish. This is where the term “corrected grain leather” comes from. Wearing this type of leather on your feet for even a brief amount of time causes its lacquer coating to crack and crease terribly, and being the suave gentleman you are, you don’t want that.
The kind of leather you want in a shoe is known as calf leather. Prized for its fine grain and softness, calf leather is pliable where corrected grain leather can be stiff and unsightly. Their comparable durability is where calf leather shines far and above its cheap corrected rival. Where corrected grain leather cracks over time, calf leather creased beautifully to the contour of your foot, creating a well-worn but hardly unsightly appearance.
If you’re looking to invest your money in anything leather, be sure you’re only spending on the highest quality. With minor upkeep and a little care, a pricey pair of calf leather shoes will last you a lifetime whereas you’d otherwise be replacing your lower end leather shoes every few months.