Sometimes you like something but just cannot afford it or justify it. Cordovan leather is one of those things for many people. It’s beautiful but often expensive. Not everyone can justify forking over an extra few hundred dollars just to get that horse-butt leather. Parisian Shoe Brand, Orban’s, has created a solution to this problem with their ‘Aubergine’ collection. The leather looks like Cordovan to the untrained eye. And even some who know Cordovan leather firsthand might mistake it.
Everything about it comes across as the famous horse-butt hide, but without the shock of the sticker price. No doubt this is some corrected grain calf version that gives off the impression of being cordovan but is simply a calfskin at the end of the day. And while most likely corrected at the tannery, it is still not to be confused with bookbinder leather which is created by applying an acrylic-based liquid (that hardens) on top of the hide.
Orban’s offers 14 models in this lovely leather and I particularly like the chelsea boots and the wholecut double monks. I also find the monkey boots quite appealing even though those usually are not to my personal liking. I could see myself stomping around NYC in some jeans with those on! Even better is that all of them except the chelsea boot are priced at €195, which I am sure is the EU price, and which means that for those outside of the EU the actual price is less 20%! For those of you in the US, that means under $200.
The one downside to Orban’s for a non-French person is that it can be hard to navigate the site. The English translation is very loose. But they do ship worldwide and are a trustworthy company so at least you have that going for you!
I am curious to see this stuff first hand so will see about getting a pair for my unboxing and up-close details series!
You can find this collection here: www.orbans.fr