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Home , Caiman, Cowboy boot, Crocodile skin, Hide (skin), Leather

Crocodilian Guide About Crocodilian Leather Footwear

According to statistics recorded on Statisticbrain.com, the annual revenue of the footwear as a whole (including suppliers of the material to make footwear) topped $48 billion, with U.S. consumers spending $20 billion. Of that $20 billion, $2.6 billion was spent on women’s dress , $1.2 billion was spent on men’s dress shoes, and another $5 billion went to “specialty footwear” that didn’t fit into the other broad categories. In the industry, it’s all about outshining the competition. To capture the attention of the upper echelon of fashion consumers, your work has to be more creative, bolder, and more unique than your competitors. The question is, how can you get an edge over your competition?

Using exotic is a great way to make your high-fashion footwear products stand out. The unique patterns that are inherent to the different types of exotic leathers make them more visually striking and memorable than their plain cowhide contemporaries. In particular, crocodilian hides are extraordinarily popular among high-fashion buyers.

Of the many species of that exist, below are three kinds regularly used for fashion applications:

»» The Crocodile »» The »» The American (yes, are considered a crocodillan species)

Each one of these hides has its own unique characteristics, which we’ll discuss in detail in this guide.

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 2 Caiman Crocodile

Of the three most popular crocodile hides, caiman is typically the most cost-efficient. At a fraction of the cost of Nile crocodile or , caiman is a great option for designers who want to work with crocodilian hides for a more unique and attractive look, but want to create on a budget. However, be aware that working with caiman hides is a bit more challenging than working with the hides other crocodilians.

A caiman crocodile’s hide is rich with calcium deposits, making it bonier than the hides of its cousins. Because of this extra boniness, a caiman’s hide is more rigid than that of the Nile crocodile or American alligator. This rigidity is the reason why caiman hide is considered more challenging to work with in comparison to the other hides listed in this guide. However, some designers prefer caiman for this rigidity.

The calcium deposits also make caiman hide more difficult to than other crocodilian hides. Often after is finished, the calcium deposits in the hide cause distinct patterns to remain. Being able to work with these patterns to create a consistent look is a challenge, but succeeding in doing so is the mark of a truly gifted designer.

For the most part, caiman are measured between the outer edges at the widest point of the belly. This is an important thing to keep in mind when searching for an ideal skin for your shoes. For smaller pieces of footwear, a skin that is between 30 and 34 centimeters wide is fine. However, for larger and shoes, you will probably need a skin of more than 35 cm. The two cuts for caiman skin are belly and hornback.

Caiman skin is usually the most readily-available form of crocodilian hide on the market. Many tanneries and distributors will have 10 to 20 different colors of caiman skin available for purchase at any given time. This makes Caiman skin easier to acquire in a specific color on short notice.

Nile Crocodile

Next on the list is the Nile crocodile. When it comes to , Nile croc Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 3 hides are usually about three times as expensive as a comparable caiman hide would be, but are still less expensive than American alligator hides.

Nile crocodile hides are much less bony than caiman hides. As a result, Nile hides are much easier to work with and dye evenly. The lower concentration of calcium deposits in the skin provides a greater level of flexibility, making this hide even more desirable for athletic and casual footwear applications than caiman skin.

Where the caiman’s hide is measured only at the widest point of the belly, a Nile crocodile’s skin is measured between the center portion of the innermost on each side of the widest point of the belly. Given this measurement method, the best size of skin to use is roughly 25 to 29 cm for small shoes and boots, and 30 to 34 cm for larger pieces of footwear.

Being more expensive to acquire than caiman, Nile hides are usually stocked in fewer colors by tanneries and distributors. Most usually carry 5-10 different colors of these hides at any given time, which is basically enough to cover the most common color choices. Also, larger, grade 1 Nile crocodile skins are more difficult to come by, as these skins are in high demand for the industry.

American Alligator

The hide of the American alligator is one of the most prized exotic leathers there is. As such, it is the most expensive of the skins on this list. Unlike the caiman and the Nile (which hail from Central America and Africa, respectively), the alligator is an that is born and bred in the USA. Collected almost exclusively from specialized in the southern USA, alligator hide is a supple and luxurious material.

Of the three crocodilians, alligators have the least bony skin of all, making dyeing the hide and it a breeze by comparison to the other two. This makes alligator hide ideal for a number of uses, including footwear.

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 4 Alligator hides are measured in the same way as Nile croc hides, between the center of the innermost bones on each side of the widest point of the belly. As such, the same sizes of alligator skin are used for footwear as the Nile croc skins. The two types of cuts usually used for alligator skin are belly and hornback.

Being the most expensive skin, alligator is also one of the hardest skins to keep in stock. While easy to dye, the sheer expense of alligator hide prevents most distributors from more than one or two colors of alligator hide at a time. If you want a particular color/finish, you may need to go straight to a tannery with a special order.

Even more than with Nile crocodile skins, alligator skins are highly sought-after by the major fashion houses for other applications, largely because of the versatility of these hides and the ultra-exclusiveness that products made from alligator leather offers to their top-tier clientele.

High fashion clients want the very best workmanship and quality for their footwear and other accessories. More than that, they want a truly unique piece of fashion wear that will be the envy of their peers. Using exotic leathers such as caiman, Nile crocodile, and American alligator skins allows you to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces of footwear that are both luxurious and highly exclusive for your top fashion clients.

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 5 Working with Crocodilian Hides

Now that you know a little bit about the different types of crocodile hides, how can you work them into footwear? In many ways, the basics of the process for using crocodile hides for shoes remains similar to making shoes out of cowhide, with a few notable exceptions.

Choosing the Right Hide for the Job

Naturally, before you can begin to craft a top-quality leather or , you need to pick the right material for the job first. Consider the following when choosing a crocodilian skin for your footwear:

»» Budget Caiman skin is the most budget friendly option, and may be easier to afford when you’re planning to release a large line of footwear. Nile crocodile leather is the midrange option in terms of price, being a little less costly than alligator skin. American Alligator skin is the top of the line option for the most discerning clients, with a price to match the exclusive nature of this hide. »» Flexibility Are you making a tough , a rigid set of high- heels, or an exotic running shoe? The final use of the product you’re making should always be one of the main considerations when you’re choosing an exotic material. Caiman hide is bony, rigid, and inflexible, which is great for rigid boots and even high heels that aren’t meant to flex, but terrible for dancing or running shoes that need to be able to flex comfortably. Nile crocodile hide is a bit better, while American alligator hide is the most supple and flexible material by far. »» Ease of Care/Durability While caiman skin is the least expensive material to obtain, its general inflexibility causes it to be more susceptible to showing stretch marks and crease lines than the other two materials. Owners of footwear made of caiman hide will have to be very careful not to bend their footwear too much, or risk unsightly damage. Alligator leather, being more flexible, will withstand bending more easily, making footwear crafted from such material a bit easier to maintain without causing crease marks.

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 6 Purveyors of high-fashion goods often appreciate ease of care. »» Grade of the Skin. With footwear items, you should be able to use Grade II skins for most jobs, assuming the defects are near the top of the tail or otherwise in an out of the way spot that won’t be on display in the final product. »» Ability to Work the Material. Generally speaking, the more rigid a material is, the harder it is to work into shape for any product. Footwear is no exception to this rule. With the extreme boniness of caiman hide, it can be difficult to work into shape for footwear. This means that it will take you more time and effort to craft footwear out of caiman hide than Nile crocodile or American alligator hide. Of all the crocodilian hides, American alligator is the least bony, making it the easiest to work with. »» Color. For any fashion designer, color is one of the basic elements of a complete fashion design. However, there are unique challenges for getting the color right for each of the crocodilian hides. For example, the bony hide of the caiman is the most difficult to dye, but is frequently available from distributors in a variety of colors while American alligator hide is very easy to dye, but it can be difficult to find finished hides in the exact color you want because of how much demand there is for them in proportion to the available supply. »» Your Collection. If you are making crocodile leather footwear as a part of a larger fashion collection, then you’ll naturally want to ensure that your footwear meshes well with your concept for the collection as a whole.

When choosing a material, it also pays off to keep your clients in mind. Picking a material that effectively meets their needs in terms of luxuriousness and attractiveness is a basic part of making your fashion line successful.

For example, if you serve ultra-high-end clientele who demand only the very best, then you’ll probably want to make your footwear out of alligator leather to meet their needs.

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 7 Tips for Working with Crocodilian Leather

Caiman Skin: The number one piece of advice for working with caiman skin is to keep in mind that it is very bony when compared to the other crocodilian skins. This boniness makes caiman skin more difficult to work with than Nile crocodile or American alligator skin, which is a part of the reason why it is less costly in comparison.

However, this very boniness makes for a tougher, more rigid toe and heel than the other skins, so it’s not all bad.

The calcium deposits in a caiman’s skin also make it tougher to dye, and will almost always leave unique markings in the final product. Working around or with these markings will often be one of the biggest challenges in making your footwear stand out from the competition.

When preparing to sew a caiman skin onto a shoe or boot sole, prepare a sewing line using a dremel or other tool to thin out the bony parts of the hide where you’ll be sewing. This will save your ’s needles a lot of wear and tear that would otherwise ruin them.

Because of its rigidity, caiman leather is much more prone to showing creases than alligator or Nile crocodile hide. If you’re worried about the rigidity of caiman hide in your footwear product, consider using strips of other materials for parts of the shoe or boot that are meant to flex. Alternatively, using special leather chemical treatments on the final product and leaving detailed care instructions can help end users keep their leather footwear looking like new for longer.

For a more stylized appearance, using hornback cut skin provides deeper, somewhat less regular scale patterns that enhance the unique appearance of the final product, while a belly cut shows off the smoother, wider scales along the belly for a more uniform look. For boots and dress shoes, this will be a mostly aesthetic choice. In footwear meant to bend, such as or athletic shoes, you’ll probably want to use the belly scales for greater ease of movement.

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 8 Overall, using caiman skin takes more work than the other crocodilian leathers, but if you aren’t afraid of a little extra work, then caiman skin might be an excellent material for your next leather footwear project.

Nile Generally speaking, Nile crocodile hide is easier to work with than caiman hide, but not quite as supple as American alligator hide. With there still being some calcium in the Nile croc hide, however, it can be beneficial to take extra precautions when crafting footwear from it, such as preparing sewing lines with a dremel or other tool to thin out the skin and make it easier to sew so as not to place too much stress on your sewing equipment.

When planning for a particular footwear piece, consider the finish of the skin you’ll be using. For cowboy boots and dress shoes, finish processes that leave the hide stiffer are great. For sneakers, athletic shoes, and other “everyday” wear items, the skin should be processed using a finish that leaves the hide softer and more flexible. This is one reason why it may be best to order from a tannery, as you can ask the tannery for specific finishes and get advice on what finishes would be best for your footwear application. Since Nile crocodile skin has less calcium in it than caiman skin, it “ is easier to get an even dye application, so there won’t be as much discoloration when dyeing it.

Alligator Skin When planning for a particular footwear Of the three crocodilian hides in this guide, American alligator skin is piece, consider the finish of the skin you’ll be the softest, most supple and luxurious skin of the bunch. Also, it is the using. For cowboy boots and dress shoes, easiest to work with. finish processes that leave the hide stiffer are great. For sneakers, athletic shoes, and Because of the distinct lack of calcium deposits in alligator skin, getting other “everyday” wear items, the skin should an even dye job for a consistent look to match any of your other high- be processed using a finish that leaves the fashion pieces is much easier than it is with Nile or caiman crocodile hide softer and more flexible. skin. Also, while you may still want to prepare sewing lines ahead of time, you are much less likely to bend or break a needle from hitting a calcium deposit on alligator hide. Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 9 As the hide of an alligator is extraordinarily soft and supple, your choice of cut to use for your footwear is almost entirely aesthetic in nature. Using back scales adds more texture to your piece, while belly scales provide a cleaner, smoother look.

More than with any other crocodilian hide, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t waste any material with alligator hides because of the sheer expense.

General Tips:

When making footwear (or any other paired item) from exotic skins such as crocodilian leather, be sure to use at least two skins for each pair of footwear that you make. The reason for this is that if you were to use only one skin for a single pair of footwear, you would have to use belly or back skin for one piece, and tail skin for the other. This would cause the left and right pieces to have very different scale patterns on them, making the pair look mismatched. By using two skins, you can create two pairs of footwear by using both bellies for one pair and the tails for the other.

If you find yourself with large scrap pieces, consider using them for flashing or small accessories such as matching watch bands to go with the footwear. This, of course, depends on you having a lot of excess materials, but it is a good way to prevent waste.

When getting your crocodilian leather products ready for display, consider applying leather conditioner formulated for crocodile skin to the footwear. With the right conditioner, you can improve the appearance of the footwear, while preventing the appearance of unsightly cracks.

The conditioner that you use will be determined largely by the species of crocodile skin you’re treating, as well as the finish used for your footwear. Always test new products in an inconspicuous spot or on a piece of scrap material before applying it to a finished item, as a new conditioner may cause slight discoloration.

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 10 Crocodile Leather Footwear Care

Making crocodile leather footwear takes time, effort, and money. And as such each piece of high-fashion leather footwear that you create is an investment, one that needs to be looked after carefully. Discerning clients demand the best products, and caring for your exotic leather footwear properly ensures that they remain the best until they’re sold.

Of course, once the client has bought their custom-made crocodile skin boots, your control over how the product is taken care of is over. However, before the client leaves with their fashionable new footwear, there are a few general tips you can share with them so that they can make their footwear remain in beautiful condition for longer.

Please note that this list consists mostly of general advice, and that some leather finishes might require extra care steps:

Storage Tips

When not in use, crocodile leather items such as boots or shoes should be kept in a cool, dry environment. One example of an appropriate place to store crocodile leather boots would be in a shoe closet.

Avoid storing the shoes in direct sunlight or near a heat source. Keeping leather boots and shoes out of direct sunlight whenever possible helps to prevent sun damage to the footwear, and keep any in the skin from becoming faded. Putting the shoes next to or on top of a heat source, such as a heater or in direct sunlight can cause the leather to dry out and become heat-blemished.

Finally, avoid stacking multiple pieces of footwear one atop the other. Though relatively lightweight, the soles of other shoes and hard pieces of decoration (such as the on a ) can scratch or otherwise damage the finish on valuable luxury footwear. Keeping footwear separated on a shoe rack in a closet when not in use can go a long way towards maximizing how long that nearly priceless piece of fashion wear lasts.

Now that you know where to store croc skin footwear, how do you clean it? Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 11 Cleaning Tips

First and foremost, you should always avoid getting leather excessively wet. While many may assume that their crocodile leather repels water rather than absorbing it, too much moisture can still cause damage to the finish of the leather. So, if your crocodile leather wear gets wet, it is important to clean off the excess moisture promptly.

To remove excess moisture, gently rub the affected area of the crocodile leather shoe or boot with a soft, dry towel or cleaning cloth to soak up the majority of the excess moisture. Once that is done, hang-dry the item to finish removing excess moisture. It is important to avoid using direct sunlight or any other direct heat source when drying the leather, as that may cause damage to the finish and result in discoloration or cracks.

After the leather is dry, apply leather conditioner formulated for your crocodile leather to help protect the finish and keep it looking new. When applying the crocodile leather conditioner, be sure to follow the application instructions on the conditioner’s packaging.

Leather conditioner for crocodile hide should be easy to find at any exotic leather goods retailer. However, if you are having difficulty finding the right crocodile leather conditioner for treating the specific finish of your crocodile skin, contacting the manufacturer can prove helpful for finding the right crocodile leather care products.

For removing dirt, dust, and other contaminants, the process from above remains largely the same, possibly minus the time spent drying the leather. First, remove the contaminant with a dry cloth. For fine particulates such as sand, using a slightly damp cloth to remove the dirt can make the initial cleaning process easier, but the leather will need to be dried and treated with conditioner afterward to reduce the risk of damage to the finish.

Whatever you do, avoid using harsh chemicals such as , as these strong chemicals may strip the finish from the hide.

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 12 Whenever trying a new leather care product on a crocodile leather shoe or boot (or any other exotic leather item), first test it on an inconspicuous part of the item first to see if it affects the finish adversely. For example, the inside- portion of the tongue. This way, if the new product does cause some discoloration, it won’t be in a place where everyone can see it right away.

With proper care, crocodile skin products should remain beautiful and ready for use for years to come. Sharing general care tips such as these, and tips that are more specific to the crocodile leather products you make, can help prolong the useful life of exotic leather goods and keep the clients who purchase your goods satisfied and coming back for more. “

With proper care, crocodile skin products should remain beautiful and ready for use for years to come. Sharing general care tips such as these, and tips that are more specific to the crocodile leather products you make, can help prolong the useful life of exotic leather goods and keep the clients who purchase your goods satisfied and coming back for more.

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 13 Acquiring Crocodilian Skins

Naturally, before you can work with and kind of crocodile hide, you have to acquire it first. For your crocodile skin purchase, the seller will fall into one (or more) of the following three categories:

#1: Tanneries

Tanneries are those businesses that actually take a raw hide and process it into useable leather. These businesses are named for the chemical that was frequently used in the process of making leather.

When you’re looking to make a bulk purchase of custom prepared skins, tanneries are your go-to resource. Because tanneries make your skins to order, you can get the exact color, grade, and finish you need to complete your latest line of footwear, provided that time isn’t an issue.

The greatest strength of the tannery is also the greatest weakness for some. Processing a “to order” request takes time. Vats of chemicals have to be set up and hides need to be processed over a specific course of time (which can vary depending on how many steps there are to achieving your desired finish).

On top of that, the tannery incurs certain minimum costs for setup whether you order one skin or a hundred skins, which is typically added as a surcharge on your bill. However, this surcharge is often much less than the markup charged by other crocodile hide retailers on a large order.

#2: Distributors

Distributors are business that purchase the skins sold by tanneries and stock them for others to buy.

The primary advantage of buying from a distributor is speed. These

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 14 businesses already have a selection of skins in stock, so all you have to do is place an order, and your shipment will be sent as soon as possible.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks to buying from the distributor over buying from a tannery.

I. Large orders are more costly. When a distributor sells a hide, they charge a markup over what they paid to the tannery. Like any business, a distributor has to make money to keep operating. II. Variety. A distributor can only sell you what they have in stock at the time you make an order. While most distributors keep as large of a selection of skins on hand as possible, there are just some skin, color, and finish combinations that are so expensive and/or uncommon as to be prohibitive to keep in stock.

Keep in mind though, that when a distributor buys from a tannery, it’s usually a large bulk order, which minimizes their cost per skin so that their markup doesn’t have to be too much for any one skin. In fact, for small orders, a distributor’s can be favorable when compared to a tannery.

In short, when you need a small handful of skins right away to get started on creating a prototype for your next footwear line, a distributor might be your best bet.

#3: Manufacturers

Manufacturers are businesses that can handle all aspects of the custom footwear creation process for you. Unlike tanneries and distributors, when you make a purchase from a manufacturer, you’re paying not just for the hide, but for a finished product, including the extra materials and labor it took to make that product according to your design.

Hiring a manufacturer is a great option for fashion designers who don’t have their own team or just don’t want to deal with the hassles of day-to-day production problems themselves. With this solution, you just pay for the production and let the manufacturer handle the purchase of materials and the assembly of the footwear. Most manufacturers will have their own trusted sources of crocodile leather. Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 15 The caveat here is to make sure that the manufacturer is only ordering the material they actually need to complete the job, and not buying

extra materials that they don’t need for your job on your dime.

Naturally, this will cost more than simply buying the leather directly “ from one of the other sources, but keep in mind how much the labor and other material costs would run you if you were to handle production yourself and see if the cost is justifiable for you.

Your budget, the size of your order, and what Choosing a Source you’re looking to get from your order (specialty Which of the three sellers of crocodile leather should you use for your finishes and colors, for example) should all be next order? That depends. considered when making your order. Your budget, the size of your order, and what you’re looking to get from your order (specialty finishes and colors, for example) should all be considered when making your order.

For example, if you’re only creating a single prototype piece of footwear to test a concept, then making a huge order from a tannery might not be the way to go. Instead, consider buying from a distributor and making the footwear yourself, or placing a one-time trial order with a manufacturer.

On the other hand, if you need hundreds of specially-made hides with custom finishes for a limited production run of footwear, consider buying from a tannery.

For more helpful advice for your crocodile leather footwear, or any other exotic hide project, contact Pan American Leathers today!

Crocodilian Leather Footwear Guide 16 We Thank You For Reading...

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