Super Sleek Green Cordovan by CNES

I recently tripped up on these beautiful green cordovan CNES Monkstraps, called the Rolf. As much as I have looked at CNES’s website, I never quite noticed these to the extent that they drew me in. It makes me laugh a bit, as I used to have customers come into my own shop and say, ‘Is that shoe new?’ and I would tell them no, and even though they had been there ten times before, they never noticed it. Same story here.

If you read my blog or know me at all, you probably know that cordovan leather has never really been my thing. And it is not because I do not like it, but just that I never saw the appeal of paying nearly twice as much. At the same time, I had bad experiences dealing with the supplier of it, which put me off. But I have always loved the richness of its color. That has always drawn me to it. And that is what stood out here in these green cordovan CNES single monks. That color is so deep and profound yet subtle and elegant. It doesn’t scream out but offers a unique yet bold option.

It is interesting that CNES only offers two colors of cordovan leather. This beautiful green and a less appealing brown. I say less appealing but am sure it is the photos that make it so. The lighting is too yellow and throws off the shade of the leather. As I have said before, lighting is crucial to good shoe photography. Thankfully they nailed the green cordovan monks. I presume the Rolf is a one-off model in this leather. Once it sells, I assume they won’t produce more. The question is can the green cordovan be used for MTO?

The Rolf is a super sleek hand welted monkstrap. You can see it is part of their newer finishing. The notch on the heel gives it away. That is a detail that comes as close to handmade as you get without actually being fully handmade. Impressive work by CNES. While the shoe comes with a price tag to match of just shy of $1000 USD, I dare say that for the leather and finishing, you get a good deal.