This year Cappelletto celebrates 70 years since the beginning of its activity. It was the year 1948, in fact, when ours founder Aldo Cappelletto (now a splendid 90 year old) he began with the first jobs as a shoemaker and an itinerant shoe retailer. Surely one of the few people IN THE WORLD to have seen and touched 140 collections of men's and women's shoes. And still today you can easily surprise him by touching the new collections that arrive in our stores, smelling them (yes smelling them!) And asking where they come from. Here is the reason for this long preamble… because today we want to talk to you about Men's shoes and the provenance really has a certain importance. When possible, we usually visit the companies producing the items we buy and the last nice visit we did in the leading US company in the world for the production of men's shoes: Alden Shoe Company.

ALDEN LIMITED EDITION 70TH ANNIVERSARY

In our Treviso shop and in our online shop you can have a complete view of the #cappestyl selectionand for this brand, which has never been so vast as this year. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary, two shoes with limited color and construction characteristics were ordered. The first is one Alden derby made in cordovan in a variant of mocha color, special coloring that you can find only from us. And a proper parenthesis should also be opened on the Cordovan material.

CORDOVAN: THE MOST PRECIOUS LEATHER 

Cordovan is a special type of leather that has its origins in the region of Cordoba, Andalusia, because it was the Andalusian tanners in the distant 850 BC who discovered its particular value. Legend has it that the Spanish Muslim lords rode the horse wearing the most spectacular boots, made of a material stronger than the skin, but at the same time more brilliant and elegant, the cordovan. IS the part of the horse's breech which has a shell shape, one shell per side. Just as jewelers use the chisel to scratch the rock and uncover the diamond, so the Cordova tanners shaved the hides until they found the cordovan shell inside the skin.

The characteristics of the Cordovan

This shell is stronger than normal skin and, unlike skin, which has a dry and fibrous structure, cordovan is full of natural fats and oils. Thanks to these oils, cordovan is more robust than the skin and when folded or twisted, it does not "wrinkle", but folds in waves. The coloring process of the cordovan also requires specific and long techniques, and looks a bit like a revitalization process of a very dry human skin: the skin is massaged with specific vegetable oils, on several occasions, until completely absorbed, so to get the characteristic robustness.

Nowadays, the best Cordovan tannery in the world is the Horween Leather Company of Chicago, which since 1896 has supplied the Alden Shoe Company and is still tanning and coloring the hides with the ancient techniques of the Spanish Muslims.

horween  he is still considered one of the most illustrious tanners in the world who uses natural tanning and horse death processes.

Contrary to popular belief, Shell Cordovan is much more than a color. It is a special type of leather that comes from a specific anatomical part of the horse from which a complete pair of shoes can be obtained at most. 

The new M8401 made specifically for Cappelletto by Alden in Limited Edition was not only made of this precious material but the coloring, the mocha in fact, is also absolutely original and nowhere to be found. The contrasting light leather sole, without lacquering and the welt construction with double stitching, give the final touch to this derby for true connoisseurs. Obviously the workmanship is goodyear. 

Alden Limited Edition for Cappelletto

Another Alden product that you find exclusively in our Treviso boutique is the G6901, a Polish with a Norwegian construction, also made of this exclusive material which is Cordovan, with the bottom in real para and the waxed laces. 

All our Alden products are also on sale online by calling 0422.543655. This is because the sale of such an exclusive product must be preceded by a necessary and professional explanation of the same. We are always available for any further information.