I keep seeing these cordovan monkstrap by Carmina on my social media feed and the more that I see them, the more I get jealous that I do not own a pair! For those that know me, you know that my favorite color is blue. Always has been. Always will be. And the blue on this Cordovan leather is simply sublime. It is so rich, yet so subtle at the same time. It is distinctly blue but not ‘scream at me blue.’ It is the perfect shade. I am finding that Cordovan leather is always the perfect shade. The perfect burgundy. The perfect green. And the perfect blue. It’s like Cordovan leather takes the dye better than simple calfskin as when you compare cordovan to box calf, for me, the winner is clear every time for color vibrance.
Consistently I have been impressed with Carmina’s cordovan selection. It often feels like they own every shade of it. And not surprising as I believe that technically they are the exclusive holders of Horween cordovan leather for Spain, hence the ability to always have it, and all shades of it! I love this blue, but I really like the green too and sometimes I don’t know if I like the whiskey better than the rest. The options feel like being a kid in a candy shop.
The one thing that I prefer to the original model of this makeup is the fact that the one on the website comes with black edging on the sole, which I personally feels suits the dark blue better than this reddish-brown color does. But this is simply a preference. Hats off to Carmina for pushing the boundaries with their Cordovan makeups in different colors, not so common to the classic shoemakers that stick to burgundy and black. It is also impressive how many they have on a regular stock offering. If you have been thinking to grab a pair of Cordovan shoes, look no futher than Carmina’s offering. You might just find something you love without having to go MTO and pay an upcharge!
Photos courtesy of @Deshellvedge
Hey Justin;
Great shoes indeed! They are in my personal list, and someday…
Let me tell you that I love the fact that you are choosing cordovan shoes precisely from a Spanish brand. As you well know, the word cordovan comes from the Spanish city of Córdoba; it was around the seventh century that, first the visigoths and later the moors, started working this kind of leather (in those times it was not from horses, but from goats) and they became very famous and recogniced for it.
By the way, congrats on your recent opening in New York an all the very best for the brand and for you.
Carlos
Thank you for the support Carlos I really appreciate it!
Because of you I just ordered a pair of these beauties from Carmina! Thanks for the tip, I’ll buy from you next time 🙂
Nice one! Happy to help! And when you are ready for a JF pair just let me know 😉