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These are serious ******* shoes man. GORGEOUS. Price? Maker?
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Thanks for that professional advice. What would be your take on my vintage brown gator Nettletons? - as an idea of age - the seller's grandfather owned them. The black croc ones are around 1960s I suspect.
As for wear properties, alligator is much, much denser than calf skin. in the last 30 years or so alligator and crocodile have been tanned with more modern chemicals and they are comparatively much softer than the old Bombe' finished skins. That said, even with a razor sharp knife it can be difficult to cut some of the tiles that verge into the back or in the tail. So, a shoe made with tail leather, for instance, will not crease as finely or conform to the foot as easily as a shoe made with belly or throat. That can affect comfort. On the other hand any leather that develops deep and fine creases or, more importantly, has a texture that creates extreme variations in surface will collect dirt and dust and this is where the shoe will deteriorate first. In many localities, a certain percentage of dirt is actually comprised of fine volcanic rock or glass--the High Desert of Central Oregon is one such place. Alligator is very scuff resistant and very durable. I don't have any hard evidence but I would guess that the newer tannages of alligator will out last calfskin four to one, all other things (like cleaning and conditionaing) being equal. A 30cm skin--measured across the belly--will run roughly $300.00-$500.00 wholesale. For a full cut oxford you would need two. That should give you a starting figure for pricing shoes made with alligator. Of course that's the "St. James Av." quality--the best belly cut with the smallest tiles.
...one must walk a fine line between refined elegance and downright clown, pimp, or worse....
What I wonder about is why they are a different colour in the heel area. Is that just weird lighting?
Thanks for that professional advice.
Those really are quite nice. I like the way the binding on the quarters is taken from an area--throat or armpit--with very small tiles and relatively supple leather.
I'll go ahead and be the lone dissenting voice. I think gators look terrible. Just tacky tacky tacky.