The Horween Company is one of the world’s finest tanneries, producing leathers with character and depth that few others can match. For those already familiar, the name speaks for itself. For those discovering it for the first time, Horween leathers are as good as it gets.
Based in Chicago since 1905, Horween has built its reputation on knowledge passed down through five generations, still overseen today by the Horween family. Much of what they do has not changed in more than a century. Their recipes and processes remain rooted in tradition, and when you are the originator within your field, there is little reason to change.
As a fifth-generation family business ourselves, still based in Northampton where we began in 1908, we recognise that same continuity of place, tradition, and approach. For Crown Northampton, Horween leathers represent some of the most important materials we work with, carried across our collections from Classic sneakers through to our top-tier Hand Stitch styles. In fact, we are the only brand in the UK to carry certain Horween leathers in sneakers, placing materials usually reserved for high-end dress shoes into everyday wear.
This blog was first published in 2023 and has now been updated in 2025 to reflect changes in the Horween leathers we use today, including the introduction of new colours of Chromexcel and the addition of Dearborn, as well as the retirement of Cavalier and Essex.
SHELL CORDOVAN
Horween’s star performer and regarded by many as the finest leather in the world, Shell Cordovan is unlike anything else. It is produced from small oval-shaped hides that are slowly tanned, stuffed, shaved, and polished by hand in a process that takes six months.
The result is a leather with a high natural sheen, instantly recognisable to those who know it. Cordovan ripples rather than creases due to its dense fibre structure and genetic make-up, and its colour shifts subtly depending on the light, a Horween hallmark that adds to its allure. With proper care, it can last a lifetime.
At Crown Northampton, we use Shell Cordovan exclusively in our Hand Stitch Collection, where every detail of the shoe is crafted to the highest possible standard. We have also released limited runs through our D-series, where the rarity of the leather makes each pair especially sought after. Shell Cordovan is also carried into our belts, where its natural sheen and durability create timeless accessories to match our footwear.
Available in:
Colours: No. 8, Bourbon, Black, Dark Cognac
Collections: Hand Stitch, D-series limited releases, Belts
CHROMEXCEL
Perhaps Horween’s most famous leather, Chromexcel is known worldwide for its distinctive look and feel. The tannage combines age-old methods with secret blends of natural oils and greases, producing a leather that is rich, durable, and full of depth. Often called the original “pull up” leather, Chromexcel reveals lighter tones when flexed or rubbed, then slowly returns to its natural state. It is firm on first wear, but softens and moulds to the foot over time, creating a personal fit and patina unique to each wearer. It also tries to self-heal when marked. Clever stuff.
This year, we worked directly with Horween to create something new: Crown-exclusive Chromexcel colours. These were developed from the much-loved Sunflower and Ink Cavalier shades, which Horween had retired due to the difficulty of producing them consistently. By reimagining those tones in Chromexcel we were able to achieve the same vibrancy within a more stable tannage.
These Crown-exclusive colours were first introduced on the Rambler, then expanded into the Classic Collection. They remain available only from Crown Northampton, making them a true signature within our range. Chromexcel belts sit alongside our sneakers and boots, offering the same depth of colour and patina that develops beautifully with wear.
Available in:
Colours: Black, Natural, No. 8, Brown, Forest Green, Crown-exclusive Sunflower and Ink
Collections: Classic Sneaker, Hand Stitch, Stitchdown, Rambler, Belts
BUFFALO
Horween Buffalo is tanned in the United States using a combination of vegetable and chrome tanning, a process that shrinks the hides to tighten the fibres and create strength. The result is a leather with a bold, natural grain that varies across each skin. No two pairs are the same, which makes Buffalo one of the most individual leathers we work with.
In addition to the standard range, we also use an olive oil tanned version. This leather has the same strength but with a softer hand and more pliable feel, and is available in Truffle and Tan.
We use Buffalo across our Hand Stitch Collection, where it appears on the Harlestone Derby, the Everdon Mid Boot, and the Rambler. It also features in our Classic Collection on the Overstone Sneaker, where its distinctive grain adds depth and individuality. Buffalo belts make use of the same bold, natural grain, each one carrying the same individuality as the sneakers and boots cut from the hides.
Available in:
Colours: Brown, Black, Grey, Ink, Olive Oil Tanned (Truffle, Tan)
Collections: Hand Stitch, Classic Sneaker, Belts
DEARBORN
We found Horween Dearborn on a visit to the tannery tannery in 2023 and introduced to our Hand Stitch Collection in 2024 after much thought and experimentation. It is a thick, vegetable tanned cattle leather, designed to have the softness of deer skin combined with the strength and durability of cow hide. Both sides of the hide are luxuriously soft, which makes it particularly suited to unlined sneakers where the leather sits directly against the foot.
At Crown Northampton, we use Dearborn on the Abbey Unlined Sneaker, where its supple feel complements the minimal design. The binding leather on the Abbey is also cut from Dearborn, ensuring a neat and consistent finish throughout. Despite its softness, Dearborn works in harmony with the collection’s other components, including Baker’s oak bark tanned English calf for structure and Lactae Hevea soles for comfort.
The result is a lightweight, durable, and minimal sneaker that feels slipper soft from the first wear.
Available in:
Colours: Black, Tan,
Collections: Hand Stitch (Abbey Unlined)
Our partnership with Horween allows us to work with some of the most respected leathers in the world. From the rarity of Shell Cordovan to the richness of Chromexcel, the individuality of Buffalo, and the slipper-soft feel of Dearborn, each leather brings its own character and qualities into our collections.
What unites them is their durability, their ability to age with grace, and the way they mould to the wearer over time. These qualities align perfectly with our own philosophy of shoemaking: making footwear that lasts, grows more beautiful with age, and connects back to the traditions of Northampton craftsmanship.
That same respect for material continues into our Off-Cuts Collection. The remnants of Horween hides that cannot be used in footwear are carefully repurposed into wallets, card holders, and glasses cases. Each piece is made from the same rare leathers as your sneakers, but priced only to reflect the craft involved, as the material cost is already carried by the footwear. In this way, every hide is used to its fullest, and every order unlocks the chance to add a companion piece for yourself or a thoughtful gift for someone else; all crafted from the same world-class leathers.
