Ghost Shell Chukkas, Size 10.5

Sometimes, experiments turn out more interesting than intended. This is one of them! A pair of chukkas using “Ghost” shell cordovan from the Shinki Hikaku tannery in Japan. It is black shell cordovan (a subcutaneous part of a horse hide) that is covered in white wax. As you wear the boots, the wax will come off to reveal black. Some of that effect is already showing just from the lasting process. The upper is stitched directly to the insole with a Norwegian stitch that has a decorative (and waterproofing!) black chain stitch. The second stitch you see below attaches the upper to the midsole, and the third stitch attaches the midsole to the outsole. This is all done entirely by hand, including the sole stitch. The waist is held together with wooden pegs to slim it down. The black “bowtie” are why these shoes are seconds. Shell cordovan is legendary for its toughness, and its low tensile strength. So sometimes when you pull, instead of stretching it is more prone to tearing. Thankfully that’s not an issue from normal wear, however there is a lot of tension there while pulling the shoes off the last and unfortunately these shoes didn’t make it unscathed. There are two small tears right by where the facing is attached, the “bowtie” was added as reinforcement, to sandwich the tear, it is also black shell cordovan from Maryam, a tannery in Italy.

Details: 6.5 mm thick Vegetable Tanned Insole; Norwegian Construction – pegged waist; Vegetable Tanned calf lining; Shinki Hikaku “Ghost” Shell Cordovan uppers; Black Edges; Leather outsole; Vibram Toppy