Kidskin vs Calf In Shoemaking

[just thoughts]

I posted this in another thread, but the name might have gotten it buried.

Anyone have any experiences with shoes made by Al's Attire in San Francisco? I went in to talk to him, and everything was going great, until he started steering me towards kidskin instead of calf as my leather choice. Apparently, he has trouble getting calf in certain colors, and I'm interested in a chestnut color for my shoes.

Also, what's the deal with quality with regard to kidskin? I know that the usual suspects use calf. An old SF post mentioned something about kidskin being used for uppers on cheaper shoes, and a google search turned up links to women's shoes...I couldn't find anything definitive, but I'm definitely suspicious now.

Should I avoid the kidskin route altogether and possibly find someone else?

 

[rebel222]

I would be hesitant to buy from someone who has trouble getting such a common calfskin color. Chestnut is certainly common enough that it should be available to any reputable shoemaker.

 

[Kuro]

Originally Posted by just thoughts

what's the deal with quality with regard to kidskin?

I'd like to know this as well if anyone knows....

Thanks in advance.

 

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by Kuro

I'd like to know this as well if anyone knows.... Thanks in advance.
Kidskin is typically reserved for women's shoes. It is less dense than calf, less thick, generally. and tends to have a somewhat fragile corium (grain surface). This means it will scuff and even peel much easier than calf. That said, kid does come in a greater range of colours. We in the US are more or less at the mercy of the factories and what they typically make...because that's who the tanneries and contract finishers cater to. For instance, getting a nice gray calf skin is nearly impossible this season. Next season, maybe the fashion industry will go all gaga about gray and we'll see gray calf skin again. More to the point, what is chestnut? One tannery will have a colour they call chestnut and it will be redder than another chestnut coming from another source. People tend to get fixated on the colours they see in their favourite factory shoe and don't take into consideration that the manufacturer can buy a chocolate brown (so labeled from the tannery) and call it coffee...or anything they like. Who's to gainsay them?