Durability of lambskin for boots?

[Lorinz]

I was interested in this new pair of boots from YSL, however the one concern I have is that they are made from lambskin leather. I have a pair of boots from them already(the Wyatt) which are made from calfskin. So far they have held up well, and I have seen posts and videos from people who own the same boots and mention them holding up well over the years when taken care of. However I can't find any information on lambskin being used for boots, and how durable it would be; I know lambskin is supposed to be very soft and luxurious(I've seen it commonly used for leather driving gloves), but I have no idea how durable it would be for a pair of boots. Keep in mind, I would be wearing these purely for fashion, not daily to work or on nature hikes or anything of that sort. I just wonder, does anyone know how durable lambskin would be for boots? Would they generally be fine to wear, or are they going to be very fragile and get damaged very easily? That is what I worry about most, that they'd be too fragile and too easy to damage and mess up. Any thoughts or experience with lambskin boots?

 

[Aloysius]

Seems like a horrific choice for boots, even for high fashion. They'd dissolve in short order.

Couldn't they have gotten a high end calf?

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Seems like a horrific choice for boots, even for high fashion. They'd dissolve in short order.

Couldn't they have gotten a high end calf?

Agreed. I can't possibly see lamb being a good choice for boots. Calf would obviously be better, but if they want to be exotic and still make a durable choice, they could go Kangaroo or Camel leather as well.

 

[Lorinz]

Seems like a horrific choice for boots, even for high fashion. They'd dissolve in short order.

Couldn't they have gotten a high end calf?

is lambskin that fragile? For reference, when I called their customer service and asked about it, the person said they were indeed very soft and delicate, but claimed "they age very beautifully" and made a point to say they'd age really well supposedly. They also said to avoid getting them wet and avoid snow as well. Just how fragile is lambskin leather, because again as I said, I never heard of boots being made from that material.

 

[Aloysius]

I genuinely think they chose lambskin because it will fall apart.

It's extremely fragile. This can be a good trait for it in jackets, where the softness lets it drape like fabric, but it would be completely undesirable for shoes.

 

[belfastboy]

is lambskin that fragile? For reference, when I called their customer service and asked about it, the person said they were indeed very soft and delicate, but claimed "they age very beautifully" and made a point to say they'd age really well supposedly. They also said to avoid getting them wet and avoid snow as well. Just how fragile is lambskin leather, because again as I said, I never heard of boots being made from that material.

What good are boots that you can't get wet/avoid snow?

 

[Lorinz]

What good are boots that you can't get wet/avoid snow?

The rep on the phone didn't specify unfortunately. I was always under the impression that leather boots can get wet, they just can't be allowed to get soaked, right? I don't know if lambskin would be any different, or would it? If merely getting them wet ruins them that would make them pointless.

 

[Aloysius]

The rep on the phone didn't specify unfortunately. I was always under the impression that leather boots can get wet, they just can't be allowed to get soaked, right? I don't know if lambskin would be any different, or would it? If merely getting them wet ruins them that would make them pointless.

Good boots, even dress ones, can handle getting soaked.

 

[TartuWolf]

I'd say buy them and report back here from time to time - then we ALL can learn something!

 

[Monitor]

Lambskin makes a horrible leather. It's good for lining, that's about it. It barely even looks like leather! Just leave it on the poor animal.

 

[morrison2951]

Had no idea there was such a thing as lamb boots. Might as well be made of paper.

 

[CatsCan]

I think it's a design gimmick. Luxorious frivolity if you ask me. Will work as fashion boots if only worn on certain occasions where you need to be chique. For people in a league who - should a stain occure - throw them away and take another pair of those. Just to show they can. I belong to the league of those who try to buy boots for a decade that can be resoled. I have lambskin lined German Winter Hunting Boots, bought them 30 years ago, worn them many many winters out in the woods or bogs, they are still going strong. But I could not wear them to a vernissage where they'd drink champain, though.

 

[CatsCan]

...on the other hand, who knows their secrets. Maybe they use a mystery tanning process or treatment that makes this lambskin sturdy and durable enough for boots.

 

[Monitor]

...on the other hand, who knows their secrets. Maybe they use a mystery tanning process or treatment that makes this lambskin sturdy and durable enough for boots.

No secret. It's trash. YSL was making durable clothes under Hedi but Vaccarello is an uninspired hack and lambskin has no business on footwear. People would hike in Hedi's Wyatt boots for the hell of it and the boots took it.

 

[Tom71]

Plenty of shoes/boots around that are delicate and not meant to get wet or dirty. My wife hardly has anything else.
As long as you don’t want to use them as work boots, I can’t see the issue.
I take it, the soles are not lambskin, so I wouldn’t worry about the upper leather being “delicate”. Just walk around like normal and avoid adverse conditions.

For me this is like a vintage 911 that you wouldn’t drive around in snow, on salted roads etc. Doesn’t make it a bad car, just because it doesn’t behave like a Wrangler.

 

[Aloysius]

Plenty of shoes/boots around that are delicate and not meant to get wet or dirty. My wife hardly has anything else.
As long as you don’t want to use them as work boots, I can’t see the issue.
I take it, the soles are not lambskin, so I wouldn’t worry about the upper leather being “delicate”. Just walk around like normal and avoid adverse conditions.

For me this is like a vintage 911 that you wouldn’t drive around in snow, on salted roads etc. Doesn’t make it a bad car, just because it doesn’t behave like a Wrangler.

I agree with your general point but lamb skin goes too far in the other direction—its merits as a garment leather are lost with the structure of a shoe, and as a luxurious appearance goes they do not compare to calf.

I don’t have a prejudice against fashion makers per se; rather I would agree with Monitor that they had a post Hedi quality drop (even as someone who dislikes the Hedi look).

 

[belfastboy]

The rep on the phone didn't specify unfortunately. I was always under the impression that leather boots can get wet, they just can't be allowed to get soaked, right? I don't know if lambskin would be any different, or would it? If merely getting them wet ruins them that would make them pointless.

I live in the Pac North West so if fear of getting boots wet was for real I would never go out. The only issue here with getting boots wet in winter is cleaning the salt stains/residue as soon as you get home. I have never had a pair of boots ruined by water.

 

[cbez]

Lamb is trash for boots and YSL is overpriced fashion trash. Many videos of cobblers taking them apart and showing how cheaply they are built.

You can get a similar aesthetic built correctly in a real leather from the indo makers if you're dead set on it.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Would not even consider any boots (or really anything else) made of any type of Lambskin.

 

[Dbtk44]

I love my lambskin, and have more than a few jackets, pants and gloves made of the stuff...but, I just can't see it being suitable for footwear. Outdoors anyway.