While some might expect hair-on-hide to be a fragile choice for footwear, it is far more durable than you may think. While my pair has mostly been worn in the office and for some light hiking, my youngest brother has worn his pair every day since receiving them to do tree work.
Mine haven't developed much other than getting a tad darker and beginning to shape to my feet. The only thing that has changed in the care routine is using a brush to get debris out of the hair.
STC last at half up is extremely comfortable and was the right choice for this pair. Comfort, comfort, comfort.
This started as an idea pitched to Gareth in a discord server and it expanded to full reality with several YouTube videos being produced to highlight them, the leather, and the animal— the Nguni. The team at Jim Green had to slightly alter the construction method to handle the hair-on-hide and ensure proper adhesive grip, which was shown in the construction video. This was a fun project and I hope to see more in the future to further highlight Jim Green's love of conservation through sharing their wildlife and environment.
The new sole options from Jim Green are absolutely excellent and a huge leap forward from the original offerings to the US a few years back. This new Frog Grip sole is extremely comfortable, springy, and durable. The traction is also very good and lives up to the moniker.
There were nine of these produced and I am very excited to see how they age. It was a fun project and I hope to do more in the future!