Crockett & Jones revolutionises "Russian grain" leather

Russian leather was once considered one of the finest variations of the material – rich in colour and supple, while simultaneously hardwearing and resistant to weather. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries it was the fabric of choice for the military, who required kit that could survive exposure to the elements.

Following the Russian revolution, in 1918 production of the leather stopped, its popularity faded, and little was heard of it until decades later, when, in the 1970s, a bounty of the goods was discovered in a wreck on the south west coast of England. Despite lying at the bottom of the sea for nearly 200 years, the material had survived – and in remarkable condition – reigniting interest in the age-old craft used to create it.

The supply of skins was limited, prompting a traditional tannery to attempt to recreate the original production. Enlisting the help of an archivist and Russian translator, over two years they developed a way to accurately reproduce its qualities. The result is a painstaking and lengthy process: made from young English ox hides, the leather undergoes a slow vegetable tanning (four months in chemical-free pits), infused with willow- and oak-bark liquors, before being dressed with birch oil, which gives it a level of water repellency, as well as its distinctive and appealing smell. In the final stages, it is dyed and embossed with a cross print, as seen on the original Russian leather.

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Its historical pedigree, coupled with its practical properties, has made the material a natural choice for English footwear specialist Crockett & Jones, which has acquired exclusive rights to the material. It has put it to good use, translating it into two stylish and functional pairs of shoes. The first, the Radnor 4, is a sturdy Goodyear-welted derby boot, featuring a robust ridgeway rubber sole. The implementation of the leather has also been applied to the more formal Peebles, the shoe equivalent.

crockettandjones.com