Exotic Leather Blog

The Brooklyn Shoe Space is a membership-based shared work space for shoemakers and leather workers alike to gather, share tips and get down to work on their latest leather and shoe projects. For people who want some studio time, the Brooklyn Shoe Space lets members schedule hourly sessions during the week. On weekends, the space is open to both members and the public from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. While at the Brooklyn Shoe Space, aspiring leather and shoemakers have access to the studio floor, tools and expert supervision from an experienced shoemaker.

Finding a school to help you learn how to work with leather can be tough. This is why the team here at PanAm Leathers is putting together a list of schools that offer an education in crafting leather goods. For the next stop in PanAm Leathers’ tour of leather craft education, we’d like to introduce you to the Chicago School of Shoemaking & Leather Arts.

Tapping into the footwear craze of the past decade, Dominic Chambrone's Shoe Surgeon School has emerged as one of the most popular and influential leather craft schools internationally. 

The school is an event-based course that gives learners a chance to get hands-on lessons for working with and crafting shoes. As noted on their “About Us” page, the core values of the school are self-expression, empowerment and community.

Through the classes at The Shoe Surgeon School, you can learn how to establish and express your artistic vision while participating in a communal event where you can inspire and be inspired by others.

High-end clients have high-end requirements. To satisfy the sneaker needs of pickier clientele, your product has to be unquestionably top-notch. First off, you have to look for an exclusive material without overriding the desired properties of good footwear. The product also has to have a reasonable balance between uniqueness, flexibility, and durability.

Caiman crocodiles, sometimes referred to as Colombian crocodiles are smaller than the alligator and the Nile crocodile. They are widespread in Central and South America where farmers rear them for skins and meat.

A person new to exotic hides can easily confuse caiman leather for Nile crocodile or American alligator skin. The main standout feature that sets caiman leather apart from the rest is that it is the boniest. Its rigidity is as a result of the accumulation of high amounts of calcium.

The shoes make the man. Nothing says style and class better than exotic skins. However, not all exotic skins are suitable for making men's shoes.

When making high-fashion men’s shoes, it can be difficult to balance the quality of your end product with your costs. Everyone wants to have the best materials to work with but your budget might not always allow you to get alligator skin for your project.

Finding a top-grade exotic skin for men’s shoes that is also inexpensive can be tough. There are some types of skin that can make exquisite men’s shoes, but are very expensive to obtain. On the other hand, some less expensive skins might not be the best fit for men’s shoes because of their size or other characteristics.

What Exactly is Shell Cordovan?

First of all, this is an equine leather; one that is considered extremely durable and high quality.

All over the world, horses are used in the food industry and in our case, shell cordovan leather is typically taken from horses that died of natural causes. 

Crocodile skin is one of the most exquisite leathers for crafting exotic leather shoes. If you want to make a statement with your shoe designs, crocodile flanks will give you stunning textures and scale patterns.

A little while ago, we did a post about the best exotic skins to use for men’s shoes. One of the top suggestions was alligator skin.