Bison Leather Boots Shoes

Bison are strong animals that have been hunted for their meat, horns and hides for thousands of years. But despite the origins of this large bovine animal in north America, awareness of bison leather products in the U.S. is still quite small.

While cow leather is the most widely used leather in the world, bison leather is an attractive alternative. Just as strong and durable, bison leather lends itself perfectly to mens shoes and accessories – but its distinctive appearance is what sets bison leather apart.

Bison vs Buffalo – What’s the Difference?

Buffalo and bison are often used interchangeably, however when it comes to leather they are indeed two separate animals.

Many Americans think buffalo and bison are the same, but they are not. Especially for Americans, we often call the north American bison a buffalo. Most bison and buffalo leather in the U.S. comes from the North American bison but if you see a leather product called buffalo, it might come from the Asian Water Buffalo or the African Cape Buffalo.

How Bison Leather is Processed

Most bison leathers (but not all) are processed by vegetable tanning, an old-school technique that uses organic vegetable-based compounds such as bark, leaves and oil from trees. Although this is a more expensive and time consuming process than the more modern and commercialised methods of chrome tanning for cow leather, the result is a more natural look that develops a nice leather patina over time.

However, bison leather and other vegetable tanned leathers are not waterproof. While it is strong and durable, it is more susceptible to marks, and is especially sensitive to cleaners. Vegetable tanned leathers usually stain easily, especially if you drop water on them, Chrome tanned leather has better water resistant properties, but it is produced with more highly pollutant chemicals than vegetable tanned leather.

Is Bison Leather Better Than Cow Leather?

It’s hard to say conclusively about bison leather being better, because the characteristics are so varied. Unlike cowhide, bison leather hides are not as stretched in the process, in order to preserve the unique grain pattern of the hide. This makes bison leather marginally thicker and stronger than cow leather.

The real beauty of bison leather lies in the grain. Bison are a deep, rich color and have a more unique grain pattern than cowhides – and no two hides are alike. This is reflected in the end product that allows the natural variations to show through, giving bison leather goods a much more pronounced, textured, pebble-like finish. 

How to Take Care of Bison Leather Boots and Shoes

Treating and caring for bison leather boots is similar to that of other leathers. Brush them when they gets dirty, and if they get wet, let them dry properly before wearing them again, and remember to condition the boots if they get dry

As the tanning process usually does not include any surface finishes, bison leather shoes tends to dry out faster than other kinds of leather shoes, so it is important to frequently condition bison leather boots to keep them strong. This will help nourish and moisturize the leather so it doesn’t dry out, as well as boost its longevity and resistance to scratches. However the potential downside is that it may hide the distinctive look and feel of the natural leather grain, so it’s always best to use a conditioner like Leather Honey, which is explicitly useful for bison leather. 

Free to contact GoldMoral for Customized Bison leather shoes and boots.