Cordwainers is inspired by a timeless legacy of fine craftsmanship. Every Cordwainers creation revels in the idea of excellence that nourishes creativity. Our prestigious lineage bestows its insignia upon every pair worthy of Cordwainers embossment. We truly believe that no innovation can exist without a profound knowledge of tradition. At the same time, we know that the sense of limit that springs from this awareness gives the freedom of thinking of how to trespass it. This, in synthesis, is the Cordwainers approach to modern-yet-timeless designs. A rich tradition, narrated through our emblem, personal yet unanimous, of a story that has been centuries in the making and at the same time, is yet to be written.
The title ‘cordwainer’ dates back to the medieval period, when shoemaking was a pure handicraft. An anglicisation of the French word cordonnier, it derives from the city of Cordoba in southern Spain—famous for the production of cordovan leather, also known as ‘cordwain’ in England. Cordwain was originally made from the skin of the Musoli goat, produced by a method supposedly known only to the Moors. The leather grew and grew in popularity until it became the most sought-after shoe material across Europe.
