Materials
I select premium leathers with unusual finishes for my products. Expect perfect imperfections throughout, like knots and grainlines in real wood, these materials are a canvas of their origin. I work marks, wrinkles and scratches, into each pair, embracing the hides individuality to create a unique product. Full of character each pair of shoes tell their own story. To all the specialist tanneries I use, I am honoured to use these hides in my workshop, allowing me to work beautiful materials every single day.
Stock prices vary depending on the leather costs to myself as well as other factors, such as lining, etc with the tannery name / origin (if known) stated on the product description.
Badalassi Carlo Tannery
Hand selected, premium Italian veg tanned leathers created by master Tanners Badalassi Carlo who specialise in creating some of the Worlds most prized hides (these are some of the most glorious leathers I have ever used). Hides spend at least six months in traditional tanning pits with entirely natural, sustainable materials to cure them, barks, chestnuts, mimosa extract and time, the magic ingredient, followed by natural pigments to deep dye them in glorious jewel like colours. I could have a pair of shoes in every colour and wear them on rotation.
They are soaked in barrels of fats to condition the leather, pegged and dried, and finally burnished to perfection under an amber stone. It is a long arduous process which hasn't changed much since the beginning of the 9th century. A member of the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana.
All the veg tan leathers I use, Badalassi and otherwise, harden during the lasting process as they are sculpted to the shape of the final shoe or boot. Do not be put off by this firmness, after a few wears they will soften and become supple, mellow, second skins. The veg tan insoles, initially rather stiff, will allow your foot to bed into the sole creating its own unique cradle. Veg tan leathers darken with age as they patina.
Walpier Tannery
Premium quality, thick, full grain Vegetable tanned leathers with smooth, semi matte finish which develop patina with wear & age. Created by World renowned Italian master Tanners Walpier. Also members of the prestigious Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana.
Charles. F. Stead & Co. Tannery
These beautiful chrome tanned hides are produced by the world renowned tannery C. F. Steads in Yorkshire, England. Specially selected hides are finished in rich colours and unique finishes which encompasses the natural beauty of the material. These antiqued leathers offer instant aged beauty.
Tinner - Very limited woodland colours, but goodness, what colours. Perfectly raw and natural. Thick and supple with an oiled pull up finish on antiqued hides making each one unique. They are deep, mellow and rather special.
Woodsman - This leather reminds me of leaf veins and tree roots. It has a wonderful depth of colour with the different hues glowing like jewels. The tanners have flipped the hides concentrating on the back of the leather giving it a truly unique look with no two hides being the same. A layer of wax is trapped between the natural antiquing and the top finish yielding a superb pull up effect. This leather has distinctive markings across the whole surface so expect extreme variations.
A. A. Crack & Sons
Hawker - A heavy weight, chrome tanned, waxy pull up, prime Italian leather from a gold standard tannery. I tend to use this mainly for leathergoods and sandals. Another antiqued, pull up treatment results in variations in colour and finish across the hide. It takes polish beautifully and will develop a super patina over time through use and regular care.
J. Wood
Villager - The leathers in this collection are all smooth, full grain with a satin finished. The colours are consistent across the whole hide with no variations. Very much a classic finish. Thick and supple dyed through hides from a German tannery.
Limited Edition Leathers
I have a small supply of end of line leathers in various colours and finishes which I will be using for stock footwear and leathergoods. These are marked as limited edition on each listing, so when they are gone, they are gone.
Adhesives & Threads
The adhesives I use are the lowest in nasty chemicals (toluene and MEK free) I could find whilst still being highly effective. Stitching threads are British made, superior quality, rot proof and abrasive resistant. My old sewing machines are terribly fussy, they only like to sew with the best.
After care
Always make sure that your shoes are kept well polished to avoid unnecessary wear. Any good polish will do, my preference being old fashioned dubbin (very sticky to apply), just use a small amount and rub in well. Dubbin is the most marvellous leather treatment balm made from almond oil, bees wax and other natural products. Any polish made from natural ingredients is a winner. I also recommend Renapur which smells almost edible. You can buy this on Amazon here.
Polishing your shoes will darken the finish on all leathers apart from the satin finish ones. The *antiqued finish leathers will lighten with wear as the waxes and oils in the leather are displaced. It's a useful indicator that a jolly good polish is needed to replenish both the colour and the finish. If there is any fading then you can use a tinted shoe cream available in shoe shops or online.
Veg tanned leathers develop their own unique patina over time, the colours darken and become rich and burnished. Polish them each month, make it a date ♥ and love them, they will be with you for a very long time.
Fairysteps are all season shoes. Mine have gone boulder hopping at the seaside and the Moors, as well as running and rambling. As with all leather shoes you should avoid wearing in excessively wet conditions as it may cause stretching. I clean off the mud, pop them somewhere lukewarm (not on a radiator), and when dry I give them a polish. The ribbons even get a wash in the sink with warm water and hand soap. My shoes are then ready for the next adventure.
Barefoot comfort soling
I believe that your shoes should feel just like slippers, all day, every day, and our shoes do just that. With all leather interiors your new shoes will naturally give with wear, gradually moulding to your feet and offering glove like comfort.
We use a very durable, highly flexible, lightweight, cushioned, non slip soling. There is no heel, just like Mother nature intended, with the soling offering a good level of bounciness and protection. When the time comes your shoes can be resoled by your local cobbler, thus extending the life of your beloveds and avoiding landfill sites.
