Delapré is the name for the old abbey down the road from us in Northampton. It has a strong French connection deriving from St Mary de la Pré – ‘of the meadow’ in French.  And this leather too has a strong French connection – being tanned in Alsace.

 

It’s a handsome, natural leather with a quite different and less polished finish than our other calfskins. Steeped in nine oils it’s a full, plump calf, with an unrivalled suppleness. Because it’s vegetable re-tanned in chestnut, quebracho and mimosa, it continues to develop its own distinct patina over time.

 

Our tanner selects the finest calf from the fields of Brittany and the Dordogne. But even then only one in ten skins can be selected for delapré as it demands a skin that is both thick and perfect. So choose it for shoes you want to have a soft, waxed burnish rather than a high shine, and nourish it with cream, rather than buff it with wax. 

 

Utah is a printed delapré, with a pattern that adds more texture to this handsome casual calf and which we give a little more of a buff to.

 

Both the Dover split-toe derby and iconic Galway boot are available in utah, lending these perennial favourites a more relaxed, contemporary appeal.

 

Utah is well-suited to both of our chelsea boot  - the lower cut Camden ankle boot and the taller, chunkier Newmarket. 

 

The family of country shoes on the rounded 72 last are also made in utah. The Borrowdale is a rugged, storm-welted wingtip; the Caudale a handsome wholecut derby; and the Froswick, a cap-toed country derby.  The Kentmere is a handsome strapped field-boot perfectly suited to practical resilience of utah. 

 

The Cardiff is a classic casual derby refreshed by the soft, matte finish of ​delapré.