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Family History

In the early 1950鈥檚 David OB电竞 left his home in Sherbrooke, QC Canada to learn the trade of shoemaking in Lewiston, Maine. By 1967 he had opened his own factory producing handmade moccasins. In 1970, his eldest son, Michael, joined him in the business. Together they grew the fledgling moccasin shop into a fully developed shoe factory producing luxury calfskin loafers for some of the best brands in the world. As a consequence of life's twists and turns, the factory changed ownership in the 1990's with Michael remaining at the helm. In 2008, the owners announced plans to close the operation in Lewiston, prompting Michael and his son Kyle to buy it back and launch OB电竞 & Co. in 2009. Under the guidance of a new father-son partnership, OB电竞 & Co. has continued the tradition of outstanding handsewn shoes while introducing the Blake construction which opened the door for boots, calfskin dress shoes and leather sneakers.

Today, The commitment to the craft has never been stronger. We source the highest quality materials available and continually strive to craft some of the best shoes in the world. We are committed to honoring and preserving the shoemaking tradition that exists in our community. All OB电竞 & Co. footwear is made in our factory in Lewiston, Maine USA.

Genuine Handsewn Moccasin Construction

The genuine handsewn moccasin construction is recognized worldwide as uniquely American. Since 1967 the OB电竞 family has been crafting moccasins in Maine and for three generations we have strived to craft the best shoes in the world. Although moccasins have evolved from soft leather bottoms to more durable constructions, at OB电竞 the practice of hand fitting leather to a shoe form, called a last, remains just as it has for generations. Our shoemakers, some with four decades of handsewing experience, are skilled in shaping and fitting the leather to the last with simple tools. They carefully tack the leather in place, then hand-stitch the leather with needles and waxed thread to create the moccasin upper. This produces a remarkably comfortable and flexible shoe. Discover more about our Handsewn Moccasin Construction by watching the video below.

Blake Welt Stitch Construction

The Blake construction was invented by American, Lyman Reed Blake, in the mid 1800鈥檚. The beauty of the construction is in its simplicity, with a single row of stitching inside the upper attaching the outsole. Unlike Goodyear welted shoes, the Blake construction has no rib attached to the innersole making it superior in flexibility. With the Blake welt stitch construction we go one step further in that once the midsole or first sole is attached to the upper we then attach a second sole, also known as the outsole, to the midsole with a welt stitching machine. Again since there is no rib attached to the innersole flexibility is not compromised but in this instance the two soles provide additional comfort and longer wear. Perfecting The Blake Welt Stitch Construction has enabled us to develop more sophisticated footwear including our calfskin dress shoe collection. With this in our arsenal, we are confident we can craft a pair of shoes for every need. Discover more about our Blake Welt Stitch construction by watching the video below.

Leather 101

Terms

Grain听- the outside of the animal hide. The grain side is typically de-haired leaving the grain exposed.

Flesh听- the inside of the animal hide, depending on the processing of the hide and type of animal, the flesh side can be very fine or very rough.

Nap听- the fleshy soft part of an animal hide.

Full-grain leather听- a leather that is minimally processed so that the grain retains all of its natural characteristics and imperfections. The grain is not buffed, sanded, or corrected in any way.

Full-grain suede听- also known as 鈥渇lesh out鈥� or 鈥渞everse suede.鈥� This means that the grain side and the flesh side are intact but the flesh side is used for the outside of the shoes.

Split suede听- the grain side and flesh side are both shaved off and the middle part of the hide is used. This practically eliminates all imperfections. Typically has a finer nap than a full-grain suede.

Pull-up听- a characteristic of high-quality full-grain leathers where there is a temporary lightening of color when pressure is applied. This is due to the natural oil and wax in the hide moving around.

Snuffed听- a leather is 鈥渟nuffed鈥� when the grain is buffed off, removing imperfections and leaving a soft velvety feel. Nubuck is snuffed leather.

Side Leather听- leather from an adult cow, the hide is split into two equal pieces along the backbone creating two 鈥渟ides鈥� to be sold.

Calfskin听鈥� leather from a young cow. Noted for the tight and almost flawless grain. Calf typically has very few imperfections.

Burnishing听- to make bright or shiny by rubbing the leather. We use wax and a rotating fabric wheel to burnish leather - giving it a bright finish but also adding character and depth of color and tone. Burnished leather is very often not uniform in color and tone.

Tannages

Chromexcel听鈥�听Chromexcel is one of the most famous of Horween鈥檚 products. It comes from adult cowhides and is typically used for casual shoes. Chromexcel makes great shoes lined or unlined. Chromexcel is noted for its distinct pull-up.
听Tannery:听Horween Leather - Chicago, IL USA
听Type:听Full Grain leather
听Feel:听Waxy / oily, soft and flexible
听Finish:听Smooth and bright

Shell Cordovan听鈥�听Shell Cordovan is arguably Horween鈥檚 most famous product and is hands-down the best leather money can buy. Shell Cordovan comes from the hindquarters of a horsehide and is the flesh side of the shell. The flesh is shaved and buffed very precisely to create a smooth and bright finish. Shell Cordovan is renowned for its beauty and distinct look but also for its longevity - a pair of well-maintained shell cordovan shoes can last 20-30 years. Shell Cordovan has a small amount of pull-up.
听Tannery:听Horween Leather - Chicago, IL USA
听Type:听Shell Cordovan
听Feel:听Waxy, soft and flexible
听Finish:听Smooth and bright

Calico听鈥�听A relatively dry and fleshy suede. Durable and resistant to stains and water.
听Tannery:听Horween Leather - Chicago, IL USA
听Type:听Full Grain Suede
听Feel:听Dry, and moderately firm
听Finish:听Fleshy, medium to high nap

Orion听鈥�听Very similar to Calico, a fleshy suede that is durable and resistant to stains and water however colors tend to be brighter.
听Tannery:听Horween Leather - Chicago, IL USA
听Type:听Full Grain Suede
听Feel:听Slightly oily, moderately soft and flexible
听Finish:听Fleshy, medium to high nap; brighter colors

Mohave听鈥�听Waterproof and stain resistant suede with a shorter and finer nap. Used by the military for soldiers boots. The grain side is buffed to remove imperfections and leaves a soft feel, great for unlined shoes or boots.
听Tannery:听S.B. Foot Tannery - Red Wing, MN USA
听Type:听Full Grain Suede, grain side is buffed
听Feel:听Dry, moderately firm
听Finish:听Short nap

Repello听鈥�听Lightweight suede with a fine nap that is typically reserved for dressier shoes. Available in many rich colors.
听Tannery:听Charles F. Stead Leather - Leeds, England, UK
听Type:听Split Suede
听Feel:听Soft and velvety
听Finish:听Short and fine nap

Odesa听鈥�听Medium weight suede similar to repello but with a slightly rougher nap.
听Tannery:听Charles F. Stead Leather - Leeds, England, UK
听Type:听Split Suede
听Feel:听Soft and flexible
听Finish:听Fleshier, medium nap

Bulldog听鈥�听Snuffed side leather that is burnished to give the leather character and depth of color.
听Tannery:听Horween Leather - Chicago, IL USA
听Type:听Snuffed Side Leather
听Feel:听Waxy on the surface, flesh is dry and moderately stiff
听Finish:听Waxy and bright

Buckaroo听鈥�听Full Grain side leather that is tumbled to bring out the natural 鈥減ebble grain.鈥� Brown colors have distinct pull-up, while black does not.
听Tannery:听Horween Leather - Chicago, IL USA
听Type:听Full Grain Side Leather
听Feel:听Oily and pliable
听Finish:听Moderately bright with noticeable pull-up

Rockford听鈥�听Bright and pliable side leather that is notable for its very bright colors.
听Tannery:听Horween Leather - Chicago, IL USA
听Type:听Full Grain Side Leather
听Feel:听Soft and smooth
听Finish:听Bright and glassy smooth

Mimosa Calf听鈥�听Slightly snuffed calfskin leather that is finished by hand using aniline stains and dyes, then burnished to create depth of color.
听Tannery:听La Veneta, Italy
听Type:听Calfskin
听Feel:听Soft and supple
听Finish:听Bright

Utica听鈥�听Toggled and tumbled side leather with noticeable natural pebble grain.
听Tannery:听Horween Leather - Chicago, IL USA
听Type:听Full Grain Side Leather
听Feel:听Extremely pliable, not oily or waxy
听Finish:听Matte

Latigo Glace听鈥�听Side leather printed with baby scotch grain, burnished to bring out high and low tones.
听Tannery:听Horween Leather - Chicago, IL USA
听Type:听Printed side leather
听Feel:听Firm and dry
听Finish:听Bright