- BrandConcord
Rough out or smooth? This shoe is constructed with the same top grain leather for both types, not cheaper splits for the rough-out. The rough-out reflects the common shoe in Colonial times, as the leather splitting machine was not invented until the 1840's. In the Colonial era, leather was brought to thickness by curryingor scraping over a wooden beam. Unlined shoes would be made with the smooth side in to take the place of a lining. The rough outside leather was dressed with a mixture of soot, lard, bear grease and beeswax. The first commercial shoe polish was advertised in Boston in 1771. For the most authentic appearance, a rough-out shoe may be packed with commercial shoe polish to simulate the bear grease polish of the itinerant shoemaker.