Comparing Leather Upper Quality On English Shoes & Boots

Join us in this video as we discuss the leather upper quality of various shoe brands including Trickers, Barker, and Cheaney shoes. 40 years of experience in the industry goes into the answer.
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[@ConvosWithCrystalAnn]

Your passion and knowledge is beyond admirable.

[@krisjonesuk]

One reason why shoes from Cheaney and Trickers, for example, are more expensive is that they work with better tanneries, select the best hides and the best part of their hides, for shoemaking. Sometimes they’ll tell you about the tannery. However, I would still stay there are leathers to avoid, such as “high shine” or “bookbinder” leather. These have a heavy coating on them that largely makes them impervious to conditioning and are liable to cracking on the surface and splitting.

[@shoehealer8853]

Spot on kris. You know your leathers. Leave the bookbinder alone 👍

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

Well done and diplomatic

[@byN91]

Thanks a million Anthony!

[@richyclubsport5155]

Trickers, Crockett and Jones and Cheaney for me all day long. Loake gone downhill as have Grenson, being honest my experience with Barker's isn't that good.

[@shoehealer8853]

Barkers are probably the best to get started on....slightly easier on the wallet. 👍

[@adrianevans9575]

Quality control at its best.

[@darrenhall7454]

I’d love to know your opinion on the popular US Chromexcel leather. I’ve had a couple of pairs of Chromexcel boots and have been a little disappointed.

[@richyclubsport5155]

Personally I don't rate USA shoes or boots despite all the hype, my cobbler friend is always trying to fix brand's from USA, he said most are garbage and he would know.

[@darrenhall7454]

@@richyclubsport5155 I’m not sure. My Grant Stone boots are actually really great quality, I just wish I had bought them in some other leather. I think I got swept along with KZbinrs talking up Chromexcel all the time. Maybe I was unlucky, I don’t know.

[@shoehealer8853]

I will do a little video on this subject Darren. Thanks for your input 👍

[@UnknownUser-rb9pd]

Owning an embarrassingly large number of Good year welted boots and shoes (into three figures) I have quite often seen veins and poorer quality panels on shoes.. These usually show themselves after a bit of wear and flexing and when cleaning or conditioning them. Usually they are placed in less prominent positions and in boots mostly on the shaft. The cheaper the shoe or boot the more likely you are to see this. Is this a problem ? Not at all for me and the scuffs and marks I create are more of a cosmetic issue but these flaws do exist. What is more of a problem are issues like misaligned tongues , facings where the lace holes one side are higher than the other resulting in slant lacing and on one occasion receiving a boot direct from Cheaney where there were nine holes on one facing and ten on the other. Shoes and boots may be carefully finished to minimise lower quality leather when new but with use from my experience they often reveal themselves. Also from my experience the one English brand that has been flawless has been Crockett and Jones though I do only own four pairs of their footwear.

[@richyclubsport5155]

C and J and Trickers are my favourites I own several pairs of Trickers, Henry x 3 Burford, Stow x 2 and several pairs of C and J the Coniston in rough out suede, being my favourite boots, amazing patina, and a couple of pairs of Cheaney Albert 2, certainly the Trickers and C and J are better construction than Cheaney in my humble opinion. I live in Northamptonshire borders and all the factories are within 20 minutes, I do buy from the factory shops.

[@UnknownUser-rb9pd]

@@richyclubsport5155 I own around 40 pairs of English shoes and boots (the rest coming from elsewhere) including three pairs of Trickers and recently sold a fourth pair as the sizing was way off compared to my other Trickers on the same last and width. Their leather quality is a little better than Cheaney IMHO but I'm not sure their QC is better. I have owned more than 20 pairs of Cheaney and still own 17 pairs and have to say that pairs bought in the last 2 or 3 years have been fine with no issues. They are my favourite brand. The second English brand I've owned the most have been Barkers but as I've retired and they were mainly dress/office shoes I have reduced them to six pairs of boots and shoes now. I also own a few Loake and have owned a few NPS and Solovair boots. I am now in the process of a gradual reduction over the next few years until I get the numbers down to more sensible levels.

[@shoehealer8853]

Richy, you're so lucky to live local to the factory shops.

[@shoehealer8853]

Unknown I've been looking for a shoe with vein marks in, but to be honest, I'm struggling. When I do, eventually find one I will do a video so others will know what to look out for. Thank you for your interest 👍

[@UnknownUser-rb9pd]

@@shoehealer8853I'm probably being a bit unfair saying "quite often" but I do have some of my boots and shoes with cosmetically flawed panels. Also I should mention that only about 40% of my "proper" footwear are English brands. Vein marks are much less common than panels of what I suspect is belly leather or rougher leather used from less desirable parts of the animal, which often seem to be used in the shaft of boots. The vein marks usually show as wavy darker lines which are visible from certain angles on smooth leather and only noticeable to me usually when I'm cleaning footwear. Not usually prominent and not something that you'd notice while wearing them. I realise that you have handled more shoes and boots than I have had hot breakfasts so may be sceptical though.