After longing glances and a yearning lasting for as long as I’ve worked at Clutch, I finally bought the Alden x Clutch Cafe Cordovan A0607s, and wallet be damned, I have not been disappointed! It’s a beautiful shoe which has proven to be extremely comfortable and wearable. Beyond an incredible shape and design with their distinctive split-toe, the appeal of the A0607s comes from their cordovan leather in Alden’s unique colour #8. Cordovan is a rare, oil and wax rich leather with a luster that isn’t overpowering, allowing for casual and formal wear. They age remarkably in the deep burgundy of colour #8, developing rolls and ripples rather than creases with the leather’s rich colour coming through with wear, and after having them for only a couple of months this characterful patina is already developing.
When it comes to care, worry not! Versus other leathers such as suede or nubuck, cordovan is comparatively durable and easy to look after. This is thanks to a very tight grain and poreless structure which is much more water-resistant than other leathers. Combined with the oils and waxes imbued in the extensive tanning process, it all culminates to make cordovan better suited to a simplistic care regime which aims to cultivate and spread those oils and waxes as opposed to continually adding more layers of oils, creams, polish or wax.
Regardless, to me this care is the joy of cordovan shoes, as their real beauty comes through as they age and develop their character from you and how you wear and look after them. So with periodic updates I will be taking you with me as we see how these shoes age and how to care for them. Having only bought my pair in late November, I have polished them once and now in this article we will be covering how they’ve aged so far and a their second polishing with a step-by-step guide:
1- Prep: Remove the laces, allowing access to the whole upper (everything above the sole), tongue included.
2- Remove the dust and dirt: With a medium stiff brush, ideally horse hair, brush the entire upper, taking 2-3 Minutes per shoe. Be careful not to brush too hard to avoid unnecessary damage. I find it best to hold the brush length wise with my thumb and pinky finger gripped at opposing ends and brushing through the wrist like you’re waving hello or, naturally, doing jazz hands. Note: If you have substantial dirt/mud on your shoes I would recommend wiping them down with a damp cloth and then leaving to dry before this stage.
3- Clean your cordovan: Apply a conservative amount of leather cleaner (we use Clinch’s available from Clutch Cafe) to a soft cloth and spread over the upper. Try to get into all the nooks and crannies like around the tongue and the crevice between the sole and upper.
4- Leave your shoes to dry: This shouldn’t take too long, by the time it takes to apply cleaner to your second shoe the first should be dry.
5- Apply your cordovan wax polish: Using a soft cloth wrapped around your finger, take up some of your wax polish and apply to the upper. We’ve used Alden’s own colour #8 wax, but others are available in different colours and from different companies. Try to stretch your wax widely in a thin layer with slightly more applied to high wear areas and significant scratches. Remember, we’re just lightly supplementing the oils and waxes already within the leather, so no need to completely coat them.
6- Spread the wax and buff your cordovan: After leaving some time for your shoe to absorb the wax (5 minutes should do), use a fine brush, ideally goat or pig hair, and thoroughly brush your entire cordovan upper. This stage serves the two purposes of further spreading the wax over the shoe to those hard to reach areas, and of course to get your cordovan shining! Your mileage may vary on how much time you want to spend on this stage depending on how shiny you want your cordovan. I would recommend a minimum of 3 minutes per shoe, but there are some who spend upwards of 20 minutes per shoe for a mirror like shine (see Amon’s 10 year old Alden x Brooks Brothers loafers), I personally do 5-10 minutes depending on how lazy I’m feeling.
7- Get them ready to wear: Re-lace your shoes et voila, they’re ready to go!
This may seem like a lot to do, but it’s important to note that something is better than nothing, so if you’re only able to brush your shoes every now and then for a few months, that’s okay.
See you next time when we will be covering day-to-day care. Thanks! Sam
For more information on cordovan leather I would recommend this excellent article by our friends at Heddels, and numerous articles in 2nd, Lightning and Clutch Magazines.
* we will be expecting stock of this style in black shell cordovan later this year.
