Turkish footwear brands are renowned for their skillful use of high quality leather and a high focus on customer satisfaction. In order to meet the demands of their customers, Turkish brands tend to have extensive catalogs with tons of different colors, patterns, and variations to pick from.
Some of these brands have even expanded into the international market, opening their own branded stores overseas or exporting their products for the world to enjoy, so if you live in the right place you can even check them out for yourself in person.
If you enjoy high quality leather shoes with an eye to detail and comfort to match, there’s a Turkish shoe brand waiting for you.
Turkish Shoe Brands
1.Derimod – Best Boots (Men and Women)
Derimod is a brand that has been in operation since 1974, and was one of the earliest Turkish footwear brands to try and combine fashion with everyday use. Specializing in high end leather goods, Derimod makes excellent boots for both men and women, as well as leather jackets and bags that go perfect with their footwear.
Derimod is successful and popular enough that they became the first Turkish leather goods store to expand into the international market, opening a Los Angeles/Beverly Hills store location in 1982.
For men, Derimod carries over 200 different men’s boots, with enough variety to satisfy any customer. Some notable offerings include their leather men’s Chelsea boot, a slip on ankle boot with raised balls on the underside of the sole for added traction in rainy weather.
Their classic lace-up men’s leather boot features a timeless design, and comes in black and brown. Outdoor boots are carried for hunters and hikers who need to tackle tough terrain, and their casual boot is ready to be used in town with comfort.
For women, Derimod carries collections of casual shoes, heels, and even slippers in addition to their extensive boot offerings (which includes over 400 different boots). There are classic lace up boots in traditional leather colors, low-riding Chelsea boots, Western-style cowboy boots, fashionable heel boots, and much more.
In particular, their stylish classic knee high leather heel boots are worth checking out, and they come in black, brown, beige, and many other natural leather colors. Derimod’s casual shoe selection is just as voluminous as their boot collection, and contains hundreds of reasonably priced Oxfords, sneakers, ballet flats, loafers, and much more.
Their heels include stilettos, thick heels, wedge heels, and even unique heeled sneakers. For sandals, heeled sandals, leather slip-ons, and strap sandals come in countless detailed designs and bright summertime colors.
No matter what kind of shoe you need, there’s something that you’ll like in Derimod’s massive collection.
2.Hotic – Best Casual Wear
Hotic shoes are the best option in Turkey for casual, yet still stylish shoes. This brand offers everything from fancy dress shoes comfortable enough for daily use to laid-back sneakers at a low price.
Founded in 1938, this brand has built up a stellar reputation over the years, and today is carried in Turkey’s largest shopping malls and at prestigious fashion boutiques.
Hotic offers a range of shoes, sneakers and boots for both men and women, and their extensive casual offerings can’t be beat.
For men, their genuine leather casual shoe is a very popular item. This shoe is versatile enough to wear to work, to a formal dinner, to an outdoor sporting event, to an intimate family gatherings, and all other occasions great and small.
This particular shoe comes in an assortment of colors and textures, including soft khaki and shiny black and brown leather. The brand can turn up the formality for their line of classic shoes, or else go more casual with their large line of sports shoes (there are thin soled gym shoes, bulky running shoes, and tons of offerings in between the two).
Their men’s shoe section alone on their website is 20 pages long, and also includes sneakers, boots, loafers, and much more. No matter the occasion, Hotic has a shoe for you.
For women, the selection is even larger. There is the flat soled casual collection, with options in tons of different colors and styles, with chains, buckles, straps, and any other design that matches your personality.
Loafer, flats, and sneakers have a similarly large pool to choose from. Quality leather heels are available in thin and thick versions, and have enough choices to fill an entire shoe rack alone.
Finally, boots are available in both flat and heeled versions, ranging from traditional snow boots, to western boots, to chic urban style boots.
3.Cabani – Best Men’s Dress Shoe
Originally founded as a small workshop in Turkey, the Cabani brand has grown to be an international hit, producing thousands of pairs of shoes each day to serve the demand from customers in 41 countries around the world.
Like other Turkish brands, Cabani seeks to have a high level of customer satisfaction, and to that end conducts research and development studies to keep a bead on the pulse of the market.
Responding to the results of these studies has helped them to develop shoes that are comfortable, stylish, and practical all at the same time.
Cabani is best known for their men’s dress shoes. These shoes are made with high quality leather uppers, GELAX/Pedigel interiors for superior comfort, and feature stylish and breathable designs.
Their Genuine Leather Classic Men’s Shoe series has every variation of a classic men’s business shoe that you can imagine. Made of exceptionally high quality leather and with interiors designed for all day comfort, any one of the shoes in this series will tie together that sharp modern business-man look.
From smooth and shiny lace up shoes to detailed and patterned slip-ons, and from scappy start-ups to the executive office, there’s a Cabani shoe for the situation.
4.Leather Care FAQ
Turkish shoes are typically made from exceptionally beautiful and high quality leather. This may intimidate newcomers to the fashion, as there is many myths and misconceptions about what you need to to to take care of leather.
When investing in a pair of high quality Turkish leather shoes, the last thing you want to do is accidentally damage them, so here we will go over some frequently asked questions about how to care for leather shoes.
With a little research and regular maintenance, your Turkish leather shoes will last for years to come.
Breaking In Leather Shoes
Leather shoes gradually change their shape over time. When you initially buy them, they can seem stiff and uncomfortable, and even cause blisters.
However, with use the shoes will conform to your own particular foot shape, and fit much more comfortably. The time period where a leather shoe is being worn down to fit the user is called the “breaking in period”.
Higher quality shoes tend to have less of a break in period, but the overall average break in period is estimated to be around 3-4 weeks. There are lots of myths about breaking in shoes that can harm your new shoes, such as recommendations to bake them in ovens or put them through washing machines.
The actual solution is much more simple, and less risky to your new footwear. First, pick a quality shoe that fits well (ill-fitting shoes can feel similar to breaking in, but never get any better). Second, wear the shoes regularly, starting with short amounts of time and gradually building up, so as not to hurt your feet.
There are no magic bullets, just a proper fit, high quality materials, and a little patience, and you’ll have your perfect shoe in very little time.
How To Clean Leather
If you use your leather shoes with any regularity, it is inevitable that they will eventually become dirty or stained. The cleaning process for leather is more involved than it is with your average canvas sneaker, and can be summed up in three steps, cleaning, conditioning, and polishing.
For the cleaning step, dirt and dust should be gently brushed off of the shoe, and followed with an application of a leather specific cleaner. The conditioning process is to add oils back into the leather that have been lost over time.
These oils help prevent the leather from drying out and becoming cracked and stiff, protect it from the effects of sunlight and water, and extend the life of the shoe. The polishing process restores the color and shine of the shoe, and buffs out scuffs and scratches.
The exact details can vary depending on the exact kind of leather used, so it is always a good idea to check and make sure the product you are using is appropriate for your shoe. Some popular products for caring for leather shoes includes:
- Saphir Creem Surfing shoe polish
- Jobsite Boot Polish
- Sperry Cleaner and Conditioner
- Leather Honey
- Kiwi Shoe Polish
- Otter Wax
When using a new product on your leather shoes, it is always recommended that you try the product out in a small spot on an inconspicuous part of the shoe. Occasionally cleaning products can have unintended effects, such as discoloration, and by testing a small spot first, you’ll avoid the heartbreak of accidentally ruining your favorite shoes.
How To Store Leather Shoes
Leather shoes can deteriorate and lose their flexibility and luster if not stored properly, especially in long term storage. Before you store your shoes, it is always a good idea to give them a thorough cleaning, conditioning, and polish.
Leather shoes should be stored in a location that doesn’t experience extreme temperatures. Depending on where you live, freezing garages or roasting summertime attics may be a poor choice for storing your shoes.
Shoes in storage should also be protected from direct sunlight, as the UV rays will dry out the leather and fade it’s colors. Ventilation and humidity must be considered as well, since stuffy damp air can contribute to mold and mildew growth.
A well ventilated, dark room with a neutral temperature is the best choice for storing your leather shoes without causing them to deteriorate. While shoes can be stored in boxes and bins, it is a better idea to store them upright or on shoe racks so that their shape doesn’t warp during storage.
Will Water Ruin Leather Shoes
Half truths and misconceptions can make people apprehensive of wearing their leather shoe out in public. Leather shoes are rumored to be completely incompatible with water, and you may be tempted to not wear your favorite shoe if there is any possibility of rain in the weather forecast.
While it is true that water can be bad for leather, it’s not necessarily the case that an unexpected drizzle is the end for your shoes. Water can damage leather shoes by drawing away the oils that keep the leather supple and flexible. Without these oils, the leather can become brittle, and even crack.
However, there are conditioning products to restore lost oils in leather shoes. If your shoes gets very wet, it’s a good idea to let them dry at a neutral temperature (don’t panic and toss them in the dryer, it would do much more harm than good), and then apply a leather conditioner.
Additionally, if you are wearing leather in conditions where they will get wet regularly, such as work boots, there are products that can strengthen their resistance to water. Beeswax, mink oil, and neatsfoot oil are classic and popular natural products to ready leather work boots for rugged conditions.
There are also modern synthetic options, such as polymer spray.
However, some of these products can be a little to harsh for designer shoes, so it is important to select the right shoe for the situation, and the right product for the specific shoe.
Conclusion
Turkey produces high quality leather shoes that are the envy of the international market. With high levels of production and a near infinite variety, there’s just about any kind of leather shoe you could hope for available from a Turkish brand. With a little care and maintenance, you’ll be enjoying these exceptional shoes for years to come.