Our lead developer, Antonio Colella, schools us in leather. He grew up up in Italy, around the corner from the best tanneries in the world and has spent over 35 years perfecting his craft.
"The best leather starts with the best hides. We source only the highest quality full-grain, Italian calfskin."
Full-grain refers to the part of the hide just below the hair. "Full" means that the hide has not been buffed or sanded to remove imperfections. At Wolf & Shepherd, we use full-grain calfskin because of the strong dense fiber structure that has very few imperfections. It is for these reasons why full-grain calfskin sits at the top of the chain in terms of quality. The tight porous nature of this leather prevents moisture retention but it also means that it is thicker, more durable and offers good tanning property.
Tanning is the process in which a raw hide is turned into leather by stabilizing the proteins to prevent putrefaction.
"We are lucky enough to work with the best tanneries in the world."
Our development team, alongside these master Italian tanneries, have developed a customized process to deliver durability, shine, and the ridiculous comfort you've come to know and love in Wolf & Shepherd shoes.
