We therefore recommend a shoe cream specifically developed for Cordovan leather.
The name Cordovan comes from the Cordoba region in Spain, and the leather comes from the horse (most often the hind thigh, which is the most resilient).
Today, there are very few places that tan horsehide, and the most well-known is probably Horween, based in Chicago, which is why Shell Cordovan is often marketed/described as Horween (the name of the family who runs the tannery).
Cordovan is vegetable-tanned (instead of chrome-tanned), which means it requires slightly different care due to its high content of liquor (alcohol/spirit from the vegetable liquid).
Many people make the mistake of "bathing" the shoe in shoe cream, which simply leaves an excess layer of grease. Therefore, apply only a thin layer, and let it sit for a few minutes before polishing (with a brush or cloth). Dab small beads of water, which you then polish in, causing the wax to harden and give a higher shine.
If you want even more shine, post-polishing with lambskin can be effective.
The more you polish, the higher the shine (from the warm polishing with lambskin), so plenty of elbow grease.
The leather from the horse is almost indestructible, and with the right care, you will have a pair of shoes for life.
