First timer's Cordovan questions

[paeday]

I have some questions for the cordovan experts here. I recently purchased a pair of RL Marlow/Darlton bluchers and noticed some irregularies in the color of the shoes after walking in them for a couple of hours. I did not notice the swirls of brown when I first inspected them out of the box. Is this marble like color pattern to be expected after intial wearing? It is not striking but it does look like there are splotches and swirls of darker brown areaa on the front of the shoe

Also I noticed that the leather appears to be easily scratched and dinged. Will these buff out later?

I will note that I did not wax or polish these shoes before wear, thinking that I should keep these to a minimun intially.

I appreciate any advice others can offer.

 

[Tarmac]

sounds normal to me. If you think it looks bizarre, post pics.

scratches do buff out. try it with a soft cloth. don't rub too hard.

and you probably don't need to wax for at least 6 months.

 

[JayJay]

I have the RL Darlton/Marlow blucher and mine scratch easily. However, after wiping with a damp cloth followed by brushing and buffing, they are scratch-free.

I bought mine about four years ago when I didn't know how to properly care for shell. I used creme regularly and as a result have dark areas in the creases. I've since learned to use only wax and to do so very sparingly.

 

[Teacher]

Decent pics are pretty much a must in order for us to give really helpful advice.

 

[paeday]

Yeah, I thought that pictures would be the best way to show what I am talking about but the pictures I took don't really show the darker areas with the lighting/flash combos I tried on my camera. I will say that the color difference is hard to notice when I am wearing them but can be noticed on close up inspection. Thanks again everyone for your input.

 

[thinman]

In general, creases in shell cordovan will be lighter than the surrounding leather. They can develop quite quickly, i.e. after one wearing. It's one way to spot shell cordovan from a distance.

I actually like this color variation in my Darlton wingtips very much. It gives the shoes great character.

 

[nate10184]

Originally Posted by thinman

In general, creases in shell cordovan will be lighter than the surrounding leather. They can develop quite quickly, i.e. after one wearing. It's one way to spot shell cordovan from a distance.

Is there any way to mimimize this? I have a pair of AE Cambridge that I bought used. The previous owner clearly used a lot of wax or cream and they were very cloudy when I received them. After hours of buffing I've got them looking good but still get these very light creases when I take out the shoe trees. Is this unavoidable?

 

[paeday]

Thanks for the advice everyone. The color irregularities are more subtle now after a few wears. I loved the plain toe ones so much, I went out and got the wingtips today (at full retail!.... I'm still kicking myself for not getting them during the past few holiday sales). They are at least a shade or two darker brown than my plain toes. Did you guys notice this on your PT vs. WT?

 

[JLibourel]

You should remember that shell cordovan is much more impermeable that regular calfskin. This is great when it comes to keeping out water, not so great when it come to accepting dyes. As a friend of mine who uses a lot of shell remarked, you can have a hundred shells dyed in the same color, and each will be slightly different. I suspect this is what may be operative here.

In any event, I'm glad the problem is clearing up.

 

[kolecho]

OP,

I have a pair of shell that has aged to exhibit different shades on the right and left shoes after only using them for a year. This is not unusual for lighter coloured shells. Such is ts beauty. It is so alive!

If you can't stand it, go for calf.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by paeday

They are at least a shade or two darker brown than my plain toes. Did you guys notice this on your PT vs. WT?

Overall my wingtips are slightly darker than my plain toes.