The only thing I Kudu

The Kudu Brongue Boot in tan. Its charms are difficult to resist.

I mentioned last week how following months of shopping abstinence the purchase of Mr. Hare's Stingray Orwells had opened up the floodgates of consumerism... well, my shopping binge has continued today. After interviewing Lodger's vary own Nathan Brown my imagination was caught by his description of his September shoe of the month, the Kudu Brogued Boot. When the Clifford Street store released the first images of the boot I fell head over heels, they were the boots I had dreamed of wearing this winter but until then did not know they actually existed. Despite lusting over them, I looked at my battered debit card and decided against it but the moment I walked by the shop window and met their flirtatious gaze my resolve completely dissipated and I just had to have them.

The September 2009 boot is made from an antique leather. As the designer mentioned on Lodger's blog, the wonderfully unique leather in this boot was made in a tannery that closed down more than 20 years ago and was found whilst foraging in the back of a shed in Northampton. The operations of this Eastern European tannery were picked up by another tannery that also ceased operations around in the last 10 years. The leather was popular in English shoe making in the 1960's and 1970's, but hasn't been used in a very long time.

A closer look.

Kudu provides a surprisingly light leather that is also remarkably strong and durable. Each hide is unique as it is characterised by the multitude of scratches and scars which reflect the Kudu’s life in the bush. The boot is an eight eyelet brogued style, and has a skeleton lining of the same Kudu leather as the upper, and a full lining in a plush purple velvet from Scabal. It's offered in two colours, a warm grey version that looks like an old work boot, and a distinctive tan version.. After a great deal of umm-ing and ahh-ing I plumped for the grey version simply because it will look like an antique pair of work boots from the very first wear and should just get better and better with age.

I just can't wait to have these in my footwear arsenal...

Lodger can only make around twenty five pairs because there is only that much leather available. There is only one parcel of this leather remaining, and the two tanneries that know how to produce it have ceased operation, this really is a Shoe of the Month that cannot be repeated. Once this leather is gone, it is gone forever and my resolve did not last too long!

The boot sits proudly next to suggested and approved clothing by Albam.