Leather

Leather is the only common upper material that gets better instead of worse. It takes the shape of your foot, keeps it, and softens at the flex points while holding its shape everywhere else.

Our leather shoes are selected for how they wear in rather than how they look on the shelf — full-grain and soft leather for styles that mould to the foot, and a little more structure in the ones meant to hold a shape across a working day.

Learn more about our leather shoes

Full-grain, suede and what they mean

Full-grain leather keeps the natural grain, so it breathes, marks and softens with wear, and it can be reconditioned rather than replaced. Suede is the underside of the hide: softer and lighter, warmer in cold weather, and more vulnerable to water and staining. Split leather is coated to look uniform, which makes it easier to care for and less likely to breathe.

How to break leather in without blisters

Wear them for short stretches at first, on a day you can take them off if they start to hurt. Leather that is forced from the first hour blisters; leather that is eased into moulds around the foot instead. A leather conditioner before the first wear keeps the surface supple, and it helps again every few months afterwards.

Keeping leather in condition

Wipe it with a damp cloth, let it dry away from heat, and condition it when it looks dry. Avoid letting it sit wet, and keep it out of radiators and car boots, where the heat dries the hide faster than the oil in it. Treated leather handles wet weather far better than untreated.

Are these shoes waterproof?

Leather resists a shower, but untreated leather is not waterproof. Treat it regularly, and if you need to be out in sustained rain, choose a style with a waterproof membrane instead.

How do I clean them?

Wipe with a damp cloth, use a shoe cleaner for marks, and condition afterwards. Keep suede away from water, and brush it dry in the direction of the nap if it does get wet.

Will they stretch to fit?

Leather gives a little across the forefoot and stays there, which is how it takes the shape of the foot. It does not stretch in length, so if a pair is too long, sizing down is the fix, not waiting.

If the pain is persistent, getting worse, or you have reduced sensation in your feet, please see a podiatrist or your doctor. Footwear is one part of everyday foot comfort — it is not a treatment.