We are often approached by tanneries and leather merchants offering a variety of leathers. When Tusting & Burnett, a fifth-generation family-run tannery, approached us with their leathers, we were intrigued. Some are tanned just thirty minutes from our door here in Northamptonshire, close enough for us to visit and hand-select the finest skins.
After testing and consideration, we created a small guest leather capsule for the Jazz range. There are three leather choices in total. Two are variations of ‘Sokoto’, and one is Mad Dog. A leather renowned for its strength and durability, and for developing patina in the way only vegetable-tanned leather can.
Mad Dog®
Mad Dog was created over fifty years ago by Tusting & Burnett. Renowned for its bold, waxy pull-up and richly textured finish, it stands as one of the tannery’s most enduring creations.
The name was inspired by Noel Coward’s song “Mad Dogs and Englishmen”, a witty take on the English tendency to do things their own way, even when convention might suggest otherwise. If you know our owner Chris, you will know just how apt that feels.
Its earliest home was in American cowboy bootmaking, valued for the depth and resilience it brought to each pair. We chose the softer, less rigid version, the one that felt most natural to Crown. It is finished through a slow process of oils and waxes applied over several weeks, building a depth of colour and texture that matures with every wear.
Scuffs, burnishes, and marks are not flaws but part of the story. They are absorbed into the surface, enhancing the leather’s individual character. It reflects our belief that every pair should carry its own character, just like the person who wears it.
Sokoto
Sokoto is defined by a distinctive, wood-like grain pattern that is unique to this raw material, and among the hungrier in the factory, it has even been compared to the crust of a tiger bread loaf. This striking texture comes from the natural qualities of the hide and is enhanced rather than concealed during finishing. Each piece is worked entirely by hand using traditional techniques that preserve the integrity of the grain.
The result is a leather with a depth and tactility that feels both rare and enduring. We were so taken with its character that we could not choose between the nubuck and smooth leather finishes. Both are offered, allowing you to decide whether you prefer the softer matte feel of nubuck or the natural sheen of the smooth finish.
It is a leather that brings a distinctive presence to the Jazz range, while remaining true to the values and methods that define our work.
Grain at the Forefront, Suede in Support
For the Artisan and Adnitt styles, Mad Dog and Sokoto are paired with CF Stead’s reverse kudu suede in chocolate brown. This suede has the softest, tightest nap we have ever seen, yet remains remarkably durable. On the Artisan, the guest leathers feature across the distinctive lozenged apron, with the rest of the upper in reverse kudu suede. On the Adnitt, the suede forms the overlays, adding a soft, textured contrast to the main panels of guest leather. On the Regent, the guest leathers stand alone, with the grain and finish at the forefront.
This combination of approaches balances strength with softness, uniting materials that will age with character while retaining their shape and integrity over years of wear.
Lining and Components
Inside each pair, calf leather linings echo the welted dress shoes that made Northampton the shoe capital of the world. A calf leather footbed sits over a vegetable-tanned insole, with a layer of cork filling between insole and outsole. This detail, more often found in hand-made dress shoes, working like a natural memory foam, adding comfort and support as the shoe moulds to your foot. A brown Vibram flex sole completes the build, adding movement and flexibility without compromising structure.
The Wearing Experience
These styles require very little break-in time. If you already own a pair from our Jazz or Hand Stitch collections, they are built on the same last. The Artisan has its own more slimline aesthetic. All three styles are available in three fittings, and we encourage you to get in touch if your feet are different to standard or if you are unsure about sizing. If you are new to us, expect a fit that feels like a Jazz shoe.
Read More About How Our Shoes Feel
How to Wear Them
The three new leathers bring depth and texture to the Jazz range. Some of these leather combinations make a quiet statement on their own, waiting to be worked into outfits with confidence. Mad Dog’s bold pull-up and grain feel right at home alongside camo, heavily worn denim, or workwear pieces, yet they can also modernise traditional tailoring when paired with softer cuts and relaxed fabrics. Sokoto, with its distinctive grain, can be used to add interest to an otherwise minimal look. The reverse kudu suede brings balance, toning down the more assertive textures and making the shoes easy to style day-to-day.
Brown tones are having their moment in shoes and sneakers, and these styles show why. The depth of colour and patina potential in these leathers offer adaptability that flat colour cannot match. Whether grounding a bold combination or complementing muted tones, they settle naturally into your wardrobe while adding a note that is distinctly your own.
How to Maintain Them
We recommend using a natural vegetable-tanned polish to nourish the leather and allowing it to develop its patina naturally over time, shaping to your foot with wear. To help maintain their form, use a shoe tree crafted by Springline, our neighbours here in Northampton. The leather has a tight, full-grain fiber structure that gives it the strength and longevity to match the finest calf leather, while remaining light and comfortable on the foot.
Evolving The Crown Collections
This year we have added a few new pieces to each collection, along with the launch of our brand new Hand Welted Collection, introduced with the Ernest. Making in Northampton remains, to us, the best way to craft shoes. We love what we do and aim to offer a range that is as considered as it is wearable. In the Stitchdown Collection we have introduced a rich green Horween Chromexcel and a deep blue Kudu suede from C.F. Stead. The Classic Collection now includes premium Janus calf suede in tan brown and black. In the Handstitch Collection we have welcomed back Naked Kudu in Chocolate Truffle, Nutmeg, Snuff, and Gaucho.
Introducing this new leather into the Jazz collection is the right kind of addition, distinctive enough to make its presence felt yet still firmly within the Crown way of making. Every leather we use has a purpose. This one brings a touch of statement to the range while staying true to our principles of craft, substance, and longevity.
View the new additions in the Jazz Collection.
Any Questions?
We handle everything in-house, so we’re always here to help. If you have questions before or after ordering, please drop us an email or leave a note at checkout, and we’ll make sure everything’s just right.
About Tusting & Burnett
Established by Harold Tusting and his Scottish wife Bessie (Burnett) on 21 September 1938 in Odell, Bedfordshire, Tusting and Burnett has built a reputation for producing distinctive, characterful leathers with a focus on heritage and quality. You can find out more about them here: tustingandburnett.co.uk and on Instagram @tustingandburnett.
