Shell Cordovan Florsheim Saddle shoes...or are they?

[The Wingnut]

I picked these up for less than $30 off of that popular action site. They fit like gloves and they're of the same quality as my '30s Florsheims(art deco two-tone gray pair I've posted before). I'd put their date of manufacture in the '70s to the early '80s.

What I'm wondering is if they're actually shell cordovan. They were listed as such, but having never come in contact with such a beast, I'm wondering what to look for. I know shell cordovan doesn't wrinkle like regular leather, so I posted a shot of the 'ball' of the foot area, where shoes wrinkle the most.

 

[Barry]

I am not sure if these are shell cordovan. I think they might be calfskin. For $30 though they look awesome. A little edge dressing and they'll look great.

I have two pairs of shell cordovan shoes. The leather has a waxy appearance - I can practically run a horsehair brush or a cloth over them and they look like new. I rarely polish them. My shoes are not as old as those but there are absolutely no wrinkles in the leather. They are completely smooth.

 

[Orgetorix]

Those aren't shell cordovan. The fine creasing gives it away. Shell tends to ripple more than crease.

 

[Teacher]

Orgetorix is right. In addition, the crease areas will be lighter than the surrounding leather on shell cordovan. But hey, for thirty bucks, you just couldn't go wrong!