Leather is one of the best-known natural materials. At the same time, it is the subject of much debate. Alongside genuine leather, imitation leather is now an essential component of the furniture and clothing industry. Thanks to its unique properties, high level of comfort, and exceptional durability, genuine leather continues to enjoy unbroken popularity. We would like to explain in detail what you should look for when buying high-quality leather clothing or leather accessories, such as a belt or a pair of leather shoes.
That's why leather clothing is so popular today
Leather, which is obtained from animal hides, is one of the oldest materials in human history. It is still used in many areas of life today. These include fashion and accessories, furniture, car manufacturing, sports, book production and restoration, as well as the military.
Even Ötzi, a man from the Stone Age, wore leather clothing, which shows how ancient this material is. Tanned animal skin was popular throughout the centuries up to modern times as protection against the weather and cold, but also against injuries during wars. Today, leather is chosen for men primarily for fashion reasons. Genuine leather is a popular material, especially for shoes, but also for belts, bags, and jackets. In addition to its typical natural smell, high resistance, and durability, its feel is particularly appealing. Unlike imitation leather, genuine leather is breathable, although this breathability varies from leather to leather. Those who choose high-quality leather clothing often have a product that will last a lifetime, or at least for many years.
Unique genuine leather– How to recognize quality
Since leather is a natural product and is not always the same, it is subject to numerous standards and regulations in Germany. This ensures that only high-quality leather from suitable animals is processed. The animals from whose hides leather for men is obtained today include cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chamois, deer, roe deer, buffalo, bison, horses, kangaroos, ostriches, reptiles such as snakes and crocodiles, fish, and elephants.
There are numerous methods for testing genuine leather, primarily focusing on chemical and biological properties such as smell, gloss, creasing behavior, water permeability, light fastness, and feel. These methods are used to determine different leather quality grades. However, there are also characteristics that you can check yourself, even as a layperson:
- Natural look. Good leather looks natural and has a flawless surface.
- Grain. This should be clean and unmarked so that the leather looks truly natural.
- Softness. With a few exceptions, leather should always feel soft and supple.
- Color. A protective film is often applied to leather to make it more robust. This should be thin enough that it does not affect the natural color of the leather.
- Breathability. Since leather is a natural material that is breathable, this property must not be impaired by chemical treatments.
- Stability. Although there are differences between individual types of leather, leather is generally very durable and tear-resistant.
Where does the leather for shoes and other items come from?
Since leather is a relatively expensive material for men, it is worth considering how this price is determined. Particularly in terms of animal welfare and quality of workmanship, it is important to know how the leather you want to buy is produced.
As a general rule, you should have all the information you need at your fingertips, as transparency is essential in leather production. On the one hand, this is to prevent animal suffering and, on the other, to conserve resources and obtain a natural, high-quality product. Leather is produced in almost 40 small steps, which alone explains the often very high price. The leather manufacturer purchases the often already tanned animal hides as raw material for further processing. At this stage, the leather skin is still highly perishable and completely organic.
The actual leather is obtained in a complex, multi-stage process:
- Preservation: At the tannery, the raw hide is preserved in salt or by drying.
- Soaking: Upon arrival at the leather factory, the raw leather is soaked in water to remove these salts. This also loosens any coarse dirt and allows the raw leather to reach its natural water content, which is essential for further processing.
- Liming:Lime and a sulfur compound are added toremove hair and the outer skin from the rawhide. This prepares the skin fibers to absorb the tanning agents.
- Fleshing:Sharp knife rollers are used toremove the subcutaneous tissue, meat residues, non-collagenous proteins, and fat from the raw hide.
- Splitting: Here, the hair side of the raw leather is separated from the flesh side. The split grain is then used to produce smooth leather, while the flesh side is used to produce suede leather, among other things.
- Bare skin: The raw skin that is now preserved is known by the technical term "bare skin" and is already particularly durable.
- Pickling and pickling: In this step, acids and enzymes are added to the leather to prepare it for tanning.
- Tanning: First, the leather is prepared again with acid and salt before being mixed with a water-based tanning agent. This makes it resistant to heat and rot.
- Dehydration:Toremove excess water from the leather, it is pulled through huge rollers.
- Sorting and folding:Afterthe leather has been divided into different quality groups, it is rolled again to ensure it is of uniform thickness.
- Wet finishing: Inthis step, the acid added during tanning is neutralized. The leather is then dyed and greased, with these steps varying depending on the type of leather.
- Drying:Wilting and stretching removeany remaining water from the leather fibers and smooth the leather. It is then dried and tumbled again to loosen any adhesions that may have formed during the drying process.
- Waterproofing: To make the leather resistant to water and dirt, it is impregnated.
- Finishing:Dependingon the desired look, the leather is printed, embossed, matted, or smoothed during dry finishing. This step can significantly change the appearance of the leather.
- Final inspection:Toassess the final quality of the leather, checks are carried out to ensure that all requirements have been met during the manufacturing process. The leather is then sorted, measured, packaged, and sent to the respective manufacturers.
Good leather shoes for men – these are the most popular models
Men like to wear elegant leather shoes, especially for celebrations such as weddings or other family occasions. However, men who value style also wear them in everyday life. Depending on personal taste, there are various leather shoes to choose from.
Budapest
Originally, this was a very comfortable shoe characterized by its curved wing caps. Today, brogues are also incorrectly referred to as Budapest shoes. The genuine Budapest shoe goes well with business casual looks, chinos, and corduroy pants.
Oxford
This elegant shoe is a true classic. It features closed lacing and is the first choice for very formal occasions. It goes well with a business suit as well as elegant evening suits and tuxedos.
derby
This shoe is the open alternative to the Oxford shoe. It can be recognized by the fact that the pieces of leather on which the laces rest look like little wings. The Derby shoe is available in many materials, including smooth leather and suede. It is a perfect business shoe and ideal for all business casual outfits.
monk strap
This very classic shoe has been experiencing a revival in recent years: instead of laces, it has one or even two leather straps as fastenings on the upper. It is extravagant, yet formal, so it can be worn for all business occasions and even weddings.
Loafers / Slip-ons
This casual shoe is not usually worn with a classic suit, but rather with smart-casual looks featuring chinos and loose-fitting cotton pants. Only black patent leather loafers are often chosen to wear with a tuxedo or tailcoat.
Do you need help choosing the right shoes to go with your suit? We are happy to advise you and work with you to find an ensemble that suits you perfectly! Just ask us.