This costly leather is taken from the hides of horses. Cordovan production is an extremely time-consuming process, resulting in leather that exudes pure elegance.
Cordovan is a type of equine leather. Its name refers to the Spanish city of Córdoba, where shoemakers specialised in producing Chevreau, also referred to as 'cordovan'. Over time, and due in large part to the increasing role played by horses in the shoe industry, this term became synonymous with leather taken from horses.
This type of leather is the perfect choice for uppers on classic, sturdy shoe models. The Budapester is considered the most stylish type of men's shoe made of cordovan. While cordovan is 1.6 to 1.8 millimetres thick, it is nowhere near as supple as box calf.
Nevertheless, cordovan falls into the highest price bracket for leather. This is primarily due to the fact that the raw materials used to make this kind of leather are steadily decreasing in availability, and secondly due to the fact that only a minimal amount of leather can be taken from a single horse. In terms of shoe production, the following rule of thumb holds true: one horse, one pair of shoes.
The time-consuming, vegetable-tanning process involved in treating cordovan leather also contributes toward the end product's high price.
Other Types of Leather
Find out more about interesting shoe terms in our shoe glossary.
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