By loralrose • October 29, 2024"This is not soft leather. Absolutely zero stretch or give. It has molded to my feet over time, but was so uncomfortably firm during the first few weeks of break in that I considered selling them. Even after five years I can feel resistance when they flex. Strangely, they’re much stiffer than my boots made from Horween shell. I assume it has something to do with the lining, since these are lined and the other pair is not.
That’s a small price to pay for the gorgeous patina and durability, though. I haven’t had any issues with the water spotting notorious in shell cordovan. They’re as close to zero maintenance as a shoe can get: I don’t use shoe trees, don’t use polish, just brush them off if they look dusty and condition them with whatever is on hand (bick 4, lexol, etc) about once a year. I know many readers will be horrified by the lack of shoe trees, but they’ve held their shape just fine by my standards.
As far as patina, they darkened pretty quickly from pale tan to a light caramel color, which has continued to gradually deepen to a warm medium brown. It’s a much more even color than I see in many examples of natural shell. They’ve also developed a glossy shine especially on the toe. Because the leather is so firm they’ve ended up with fewer but deeper rolls… that’s my one disappointment in the leather, since I love the look of shoes with lots of shallow rolls/wrinkles...."Read the full review
