One of the most important aspects to take into account when making our shoes and boots is the choice of materials. The materials chosen will largely determine the final result and quality of the product. For this reason, from Jose de Mora We carefully select our suppliers, obtaining only the highest quality leathers, so that our products stand out not only for their careful design and workmanship. There is a wide variety of leathers and derivatives on the market that are made from them using different transformation processes, and within each variety, there are different qualities. We can find everything from traditional lambskin, imitation suede (antelope skin) to crocodile skin.
In the following article we will describe the main leathers used in the market and that we use in our artisan workshop to bring our designs to life.
In Spain, the lambskin Spanish lambskins or napas are one of the most commonly used leathers, due to their quality. Spanish lambskins are generally among the best in the world. Spanish lambskins have a number of unique characteristics. They stand out for their dark, slightly shiny colour and for their softness. They tend to be very flexible leathers, which is why they are used to make a wide variety of footwear and other garments.
The goatskin It is also widely used in our country, although the main world producer is India, it is here where the best tanning process is carried out. As with lambskin, it is in footwear where it is mainly used, mainly in dress shoes but also in the manufacture of boots and ankle boots. It is a leather that, through some simple processes, achieves an intense shine. Like lambskin, it is characterized by its flexibility, although in this case they are also finer. Depending on the thickness of the grain, we can separate them into 2 large groups, those with a finer grain known as "tafiletes" and those with a thicker grain, known as "dóngolas".
Another type of leather widely used in our country is the pigskinIn this case, there are many countries that produce and tan it with great quality. For cultural reasons, it is not used in countries with a Muslim majority. It is a leather that can resemble suede. Its use in footwear is residual, being used mainly to make linings for bags and other garments such as jackets and windbreakers. It is a porous and flexible leather. However, its quality and durability is lower than the leathers mentioned above.
The cowhide It is also widely used in the textile industry, and in the footwear industry in particular. It is in the USA where the highest quality cowhide is obtained, as well as excellent tanning. They are usually used in sports shoes. Due to their hardness and rigidity, they are usually used oiled and thin layers are extracted through a cutting process. One of the highest quality comes from the United States, where they are experts in tanning it. They are mainly used for the manufacture of footwear, specifically for sports shoes. Depending on the type of cut of the layers and the treatment carried out, we can distinguish different qualities, one of the highest quality being Nubuck.
Other types of skins that are rarely used or are no longer used are skins derived from exotic animals, such as antelope skins or “suede” are no longer used today, due to the endangered status of this species and their commercialization is totally prohibited. Nowadays we can find synthetic imitations on the market, which are also widely used in the manufacture of footwear.
The crocodile skin, it is very rare also due to the protection that exists for this animal species. In the few cases where we can find it, it is used in luxury items. They are leathers of great beauty, they are resistant and flexible.
