There is something incredibly appealing about hippo leather. Its aged appearance, combined with the surprisingly fine texture and detailing, makes it quite unlike most other exotic leathers. It almost looks like the skin of something that has lived a thousand years, weathered by time and the elements. And for me, that is precisely what makes it so cool, particularly in this suede-like finish.
I first came across this leather when Romanian shoemakers Petru & Claymoor introduced a pair of loafers made from it. And I must say, I was blown away. There was something about the combination of the leather’s unique texture and the simplicity of the loafer pattern that just worked beautifully.
Then came the chukka boot.
And suddenly, I started imagining all sorts of possibilities.
What I find particularly interesting is how well this leather lends itself to different styles. It has an almost prehistoric appearance, yet there is something strangely elegant about it. It is rugged without necessarily looking rough, and distinctive without being overly flashy.
That is not an easy combination to achieve, especially with exotic leathers.
I genuinely hope Petru & Claymoor decides to develop a small capsule collection around this material. Imagine a brogued Oxford in hippo leather. Or perhaps a Balmoral boot, where the texture of the leather could create a beautiful contrast against a more structured silhouette.
And then there are the colors!
Is this leather available in other shades? Because I can already picture a deep navy, a rich burgundy, or even a dark red. With that naturally aged-looking texture, I suspect those colors could be absolutely stunning.
You can see where my mind is going, right?
It is not often that a particular leather gets me this excited, but this one certainly has. I have always appreciated unusual materials, particularly when they bring something genuinely different to classic footwear, and hippo leather seems to do exactly that.
Who knows? Perhaps one day I will venture into the world of exotic leathers myself. I have a few other projects and obstacles to tackle first, but it is certainly something that gets the creative juices flowing.
For now, I will leave it to Petru & Claymoor to explore the possibilities. And I am very curious to see what they come up with next.
If you have yet to discover this Romanian shoemaker, make sure to read my introduction to Petru & Claymoor to learn more about their background and craftsmanship.
In the meantime, I have a question for you.
Which do you prefer: the hippo leather loafer or the chukka boot?
For me, it is the loafer. Hands down!
Find out more: https://petru-claymoor.com/
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
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Don’t kill hippos for shoes
Pretty sure leather for shoes is never the first reason why it was acquired. The leather industry is quite heavily regulated fyi
Tomorrow we’ll have tiger shoes or phanter shoes…the crazyness of humans is no limits…
Hippo leather comes from natural death hippos, that is why it is heavily scared and shows a long age to the skin.
It’s too bad they want like 6000 euros for these shoes…
That is an honest price for the calibre. They are fully handmade shoes and exotic leather has a lot of upcharge
is it suede? It’s really hard to tell from the photos – looks a bit like nubuck – not sure how to care for it, if I would need to buy suede brushes etc
I am not an expert on exotic leathers as it goes. Anything I tell you would be from common sense and not actual fact. That is usually how hippo looks. Like the other side of the leather is not nice/usable so the “suede/nappy” side is usually used.