Buying Leather You Cannot Touch
Buying footwear online removes the two checks that matter most: how the leather feels and how the shoe fits. This guide covers what to read for in a listing, what to ask before ordering, and what to check the moment the box arrives.
Read the Listing Properly
A good product page names four things. A vague one names none.
- The animal. Cowhide and calfskin are different materials at different prices. "Leather" alone tells you nothing.
- The grade or finish. Full-grain, top-grain, corrected, embossed, suede, nubuck. "Genuine leather" is not a grade.
- The thickness in millimetres. Rarely published, and highly revealing when it is.
- The construction. Cemented or stitched, and whether it can be resoled.
Treat "man-made upper", "leather-like", or a perfectly uniform texture in every photo as warnings. Real hide shows variation.
What Our Listings Say
The Croco Edition uses croco-embossed cowhide at 1.1 to 1.3 mm, sourced from a tannery in Agra, with soft-finish cowhide panels and suede accents. Construction is cemented, on an EVA and TPR two-component outsole, with a 5 mm memory foam insole. First batch: 240 pairs.
KOHL and DEODAR use suede uppers, in runs of 40 pairs, 8 in each size from UK 6 to UK 10.
The croco pattern is an emboss. It is not exotic crocodile skin, and no protected species are used in any VVID product. We hold no tannery certification and have not audited our supply chain.
Getting the Size Right
Measure both feet in the late afternoon, when they are at their largest, wearing the socks you intend to use. Feet are rarely identical; size to the longer one.
Aim for roughly a thumb's width between your longest toe and the front of the shoe. The midfoot should feel secure without pressure. A small amount of heel movement in a new pair is normal and usually settles.
Leather softens and adapts with wear, but it does not gain length. If a shoe is short, it will stay short. Use a shoe horn to protect the heel counter.
Check the return window and whether size exchange is free before ordering. Ours is 15 days with one free size exchange.
What to Check When It Arrives
- Flat surface. No wobble; heel sitting centred.
- Flex point. Should bend at the ball of the foot, not the arch.
- Cut edge. Solid and fibrous is leather. Layered or crumbly is split or bonded.
- Smell. Earthy is hide. Sharply chemical suggests heavy finishing or adhesive.
- Sole join. Look for gaps where upper meets sole, which can indicate a weak bond.
- Stitching. Even tension, consistent spacing, no loose ends.
Do this indoors on carpet, before wearing them outside, so the pair stays returnable.
Care
Cedar shoe trees after wear to absorb moisture and hold shape. Brush off dust; wipe marks with a lightly damp cloth. Condition every three to six months. Never machine wash leather, and air-dry away from heat.
On embossed leather, work with the pattern rather than across it, and avoid heavy waxes that pool in the texture.
The Summary
Online buying is only a gamble when the listing is vague. Animal, grade, thickness, construction, return window. Five answers, and the risk mostly disappears.