Florsheim “Royal” Imperial
Oxblood Shell Cordovan
Plain Front 5-Eyelet Derby
Euro 540

This is the among last of the great vintage Imperials before the dissolution of the firm. If you are one of my old clients you most likely have a pair of Florsheim’s Cordovan Budapesters. Plain Front Derbys in Cordovan are rather the  exception to the rule but for the gentleman who appreciates the richness of horsehide, especially in the rich deep oxblood colour, this shoe is a perfect complement to his wardrobe, and a shoe to be worn when a sleeker model than the Full Brogue is called for.  This pair, with leather from the best tannery in the world, Horween of Chicago, shows a depth of colour that will only improve with polishing. Look closely at the massive oak-tanned double sole and the additional 360 degree “split reverse welt” (the so-called “storm welt”). The lining ins a buttery tan calfskin glove leather is soft and inviting. The cordovan leather chosen for this masterpiece is from a flawless, even textured, close-grained hide of unsurpassed and unsurpassable quality. This is a no-nonsense, no compromise, indestructible shoe for the gentleman, equally suitable for business or evening wear and an absolute basic in the wardrobe.

Cordovan shoes are a typically American tradition and Allen Edmonds and Alden, two American shoemakers, are the premiere contemporary producers of cordovan shoes. Others (Crockett and Church’s in England; Vass, Dinkellacker, Reiter in Germany and Hungary), responding to the popularity of this material, have begun to produce cordovans too, and some very good ones. Still, among the cognoscenti, Florsheim, with its ironclad Imperials (while a few are still to be found on the after-market) remains the most loved “vintage” producer of Cordovans.