The Long Journey to Find the Perfect Leather

When we first launch a new shoe style, we always get asked “will you make this shoe in another color?” Whether that be a bright pink for our Ballerines or a forest green for our Switchback II Boots, we keep track of these requests and pass them on to our development team to explore. Because different shoes require different types of leather, it’s not always as easy as putting one of our existing leathers on another style.

In the case of our Primal Chelsea Boot, the sought after color was black. Not surprisingly, black is one of our more popular colors, meaning it shouldn’t be too hard to find, right? We knew we had to start our search right away! However, we didn’t expect it that it would take nearly a year to find the ideal leather. 

Sourcing the Leather

When finding a new leather, we always take careful consideration into what characteristics we need to look out for. While wholesale prices and the vendor’s minimum order quantities are crucial, tannery environmental practices and the look, feel, and durability of the leather are just as important. We ask ourselves questions such as:

• Can we get the same style of leather, but in another color? How many colors does the leather vendor have available?
• What is the purpose of the leather? Is this shoe used for hiking, or casual and everyday wear?
• Does it need to have water resistance?
• How thick or soft do we need? Does it stretch?
• Does this vendor have any remarkable certifications? Is the leather dye chrome-free or vegetable tanned?

Testing

After gathering several leather samples from various vendors, our development team worked together to narrow down our options. Many of our samples were too thick or stiff, too glossy, or scratched too easily. But we weren’t discouraged!

After a few test pairs of the black Primal Chelsea had been made, we were able to narrow down our options to just a few leathers. At this point, we had one final test—the “wear test”! Even after a particular leather passes the appearance and production tests, we must make sure that it still performs well in terms of comfort, durability, and resilience with day-to-day use.

We Did It!

After all that testing, we finally landed on our new Colorado Black - Wax Finish leather! It was a long journey, but we learned a lot from our work sampling the different leathers. Some highlights of the new leather include:

• A light wax finish for water and stain resistance
• Soft and supple to the touch for comfort with every step
• Perfect thickness for a balance of durability and allowance for movement
• Sourced from a USA-based tannery who continually practices sustainability and clean environmental efforts

Even with our extensive tests, we always continue to look for feedback from our customers. Your voice encourages us to keep looking for new innovations and researching better sustainable alternatives. We hope you love the results and continue providing us feedback to support future developments!

With an extra wide toe box, zero drop soles, and buttery soft leather, we are now proud to offer our Primal Chelsea Boot in Black!

Note: Shoes in our Primal line are made with a unique sole shape that features an extra wide toe box. This allows toes to spread out naturally and feet to function the way they're intended to. Learn more about our Primal shoes here.