About
Cloudburst is a color variant of C.F. Stead Waxed Kudu leather featuring a grey primary hue with secondary tones of lighter blue. Produced by the Charles F. Stead tannery in England, this colorway represents one of several options available in the Waxed Kudu product line.
About
Cloudburst is a color variant of C.F. Stead Waxed Kudu leather featuring a grey primary hue with secondary tones of lighter blue. Produced by the Charles F. Stead tannery in England, this colorway represents one of several options available in the Waxed Kudu product line.
The leather maintains the natural characteristics inherent to all C.F. Stead Waxed Kudu leathers, including the Janus tannage process and full wax impregnation that enhance the material's natural grain blemishes and wild-sourced imperfections.
Specifications
Material Properties
Cloudburst shares the technical specifications common to C.F. Stead Waxed Kudu leathers. The material originates from Southern African antelope with average skin sizes measuring 13-15 square feet. Individual pieces range from 10-22 square feet depending on the animal. The thickness measures 1.6-2.2mm, with a weight specification of 4.5-5.5 oz.
The Charles F. Stead tannery applies its proprietary Janus tannage, designed to maximize the natural mellowness of the hide while incorporating full wax impregnation on the grain side. This process creates a striking combination of softness and strength while intentionally highlighting natural grain blemishes rather than concealing them.
Color Characteristics
The Cloudburst colorway features a grey primary tone with secondary lighter blue undertones. This coloration applies to leather sourced from wild kudu antelope, which exhibit natural scarring and scratches acquired during life in the African bush. The undomesticated nature of the source animals results in inherent blemishes, cuts, and scars that create texture variation from skin to skin. No two pieces of Cloudburst waxed kudu appear identical.
Applications
Boot manufacturers have adopted Cloudburst for heritage footwear production. Parkhurst Brand utilizes the leather for their Allegany boot model on the 645 last, which features a Munson-style design with rounded toebox and wider ball dimensions. Rider Boot Company incorporates Cloudburst in their David model, an eight-inch Chelsea boot construction with vegetable-tanned lining.
The leather's durability and distinctive appearance make it suitable for Goodyear-welted construction, allowing boots to undergo resoling and recrafting over extended service life.
Available Colors
The C.F. Stead Waxed Kudu product line includes multiple color options alongside Cloudburst. The range features Deep Forest, Seaweed, Flint, Bitter Chocolate, Nutmeg, and Stone colorways. Each maintains the same technical specifications and tanning process while offering distinct visual characteristics.
References
"Waxed Kudu". Charles F Stead and Co Ltd. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
"The Allegany - Cloudburst Kudu (645)". Parkhurst Brand LLC. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
"Rider Boot Co. 'David' - Waxy Kudu Cloudburst". RL Makers. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
