The Shell Cordovan Project - Part 1

This post is going to chronicle the re-birth of my Alden Shell Cordovan cap-toed brogues.  Purchased in about 1992, the old boys have seen some mileage.  They have travelled the world with me and provided a trustworthy sole with which to ply my assortment of trades since college.  They have undergone several re-treads and countless airport shines.  Many years ago, I put them on injured reserve for a much needed rest.

I pulled the old boys out a couple of weeks ago and immediately noticed that they are not ready for prime time again.  Instead, I found they were in need of some much overdue love from a professional.  As you can see in Picture No. 2, not only do they need a good shine, but they have developed some sort of leather funk in the creases.  I learned from my shoe guy at Houston Shoe Hospital the other day that this is commonplace for Shell Cordovan and with their assistance can be removed.  They also need some tidying up along the back axis where I obviously forgot to use a shoe horn more than once.  Houston Shoe Hospital also happens to be a registered Alden dealer, so they may need to go back to their birthplace for a once-over.  We shall see...

Pre-Hospitalization

The odd Funk

Where was my shoe horn?

A little background:

Shell Cordovan is a type of leather commonly used in shoemaking. Cordovan is an equine leather made from the fibrous flat muscle (or shell) beneath the hide on the rump of the horse. The leather derives its name from the city of Cordoba, Spain where it is was originally prepared by the Moors.  The close fibers of the shell result in a smooth and pliable leather used almost exclusively in the manufacture of shoes, although another use is for the manufacture of finger protection tabs for recreational archery, where it is prized for its toughness, longevity, and protection qualities.

Here is an example of what the shoes looked like in new condition.  It will be very interesting to see how closely my brogues will look upon their return.

So, with all that said, I am going to drop these troopers with my friends at Houston Shoe Hospital for a 100,000 mile tune-up, shine, re-work and overall cleaning.  I'm hoping that they come back from the Doctor ready for a whole new set of adventures!  Look for Part 2 upon their return in a few weeks!