The croco pattern looks attractive, and a lot of people are smitten by it. The demand is high, and so faux leather has started appearing, which is great because it’s more sustainable and it doesn’t involve animal cruelty. But, it is important to know that there is one more pattern very similar to the croco one, but which is definitely not the same, and that is alligator skin. How can you be sure which one you will end up choosing?

Crocodile skin is considered a bit less luxurious than alligator skin. It is less exotic and exciting. But that means that it’s also cheaper, and it’s still out of the ordinary, so it may be a better choice for some people. The best kind of leather you can get is American alligator, followed by saltwater crocodile, freshwater crocodile, and caiman. So, we will share some pointers with you on how to differentiate between a croco pattern and an alligator one:

• Umbilical Scar: Both of the animals have umbilical scars, but their pattern is different. When it comes to alligators, the umbilical scar is a long webbed pattern that sits between rectangular patches of leather. In crocodiles, this pattern is much less visible, which almost makes the aspect individual to alligator skin.
• Back Horns: Crocodiles all have small horns, or bumps, on the back of their skin. The way they are set up is unique to every animal. Alligators have 2 rows of 2 horns each, while crocodiles have two rows with 4 and 2 horns each.
• Tile Pattern: Differentiating between these can be a complicated task, but to the trained eye the differences are easily distinguished – alligators have less uniform patterns and more scarring. You can see small, uneven lines on the skin even if the leather has been buffed. Crocodiles have an exclusive character that will always give them away – the remains of hair follicles that used to be there.

We hope that after reading this it will be easier to hone onto the exact pattern that you want to have!

Genuine leather is the ideal material for making mostly anything, be it bags, footwear, bracelets, wallets, and even furniture. Leather has been around for a very long time – giving man plenty of time to research it, work out how it behaves, and isolate its best qualities and figure out how to use them. Leather is naturally durable, breathable and provides a comfy environment.

To top all that off, leather, compared to other materials, wears well. When it becomes old and rugged, it gets the certain kind of appeal only softened, used up leather gets. It becomes gorgeous, aging like fine wine. Leather also speaks to all of our senses – what is the first thing you do when you encounter genuine leather? You smell it, of course! Smelling quality leather has got to be one of the most satisfying sensations our nose can experience. Sliding your fingers over it can give you goosebumps – it’s smooth, soft, and it just calls you in to try it out.

Leather has a particular sound, as well, the skin singing with every stroke you make.
If genuine leather makes you excited just like it makes us, buying leather footwear is one of the best ways you can treat yourself!

All of that being said, if you are not a fan of genuine leather for any reason - be it that you feel it is too expensive, or that you are perhaps a vegan - there are options on our list which are made out of synthetics.

Bear in mind, however, that faux leather is not as durable, as comfortable, or as breathable as its genuine counterpart. If you’re after high quality and a long shoe lifespan, then genuine leather is the way to go. But if you don’t mind switching up your designs every once in a while, then maybe synthetic leather is not a bad option. As soon as one design becomes unwearable, you’ll be ready to move on to the next one!

As you very well gleaned from our guide - there is no one particular footwear style that is suited for this exotic pattern. Rather, you can find any style you wish - from summer sandals to rugged work boots to polished dress designs. All of them look great with the croco texture, and you can choose to wear them all if you’d like, wherever you want to.

To make your decision a bit easier, however, we decided to sort all of the items on our list into two main categories: casual and dress footwear.

Casual, as its very name says, is for casual events. When you’re off work, lounging around with your kids or enjoying a relaxed summer stroll around the city, these options are what you wear to feel comfortable and to let your feet breathe. There aren’t many of those listed here, unfortunately, as we can only single out the breezy Vionic Amber and the Ariat Workhog. The former is a great choice for warm weather and the latter is that perfectly stylish work boot, or if you want to impress with your western-style look.

On the other side of the coin, there is dress footwear, more appropriate for a work setting, a formal event, or anywhere where you need to look impeccably put together. These are options that you wear with a pantsuit, a tuxedo, a fun and flirty dress or a pencil skirt and a smart button-up shirt. They are stylish and maybe even sexy, but they are also office-approved. Though of course, if you’re going to work you might want to avoid the flashiness of a bright color, such as the one on the Bolano Cap Toe.

Style, as all things fashion, is highly individual. What you prefer and like might not be what your friend does, and that’s perfectly fine! This is why it is important to listen to yourself, and choose the design that appeals to you the most. That way you definitely won’t make a mistake when settling on a design.

When you’re hunting for the best-looking design out there, it is easy to lose sight of another important aspect in choosing footwear of this type - its comfort. You need to be able to walk for as long as you want in your new fancy shoes, and you can’t exactly do that if the design is too tight, if it’s pinching you somewhere or if your feet are exhausted at the end of the day.

We sorted our selection according to their comfort levels, and here we will explain a bit more about what makes a particular design comfortable or not.

• Technology: There is quite a number of items here that come with a special comfort technology of some kind. Think of the Ariat Workhog, the Vionic Amber, the Clarks options. All of them offer some new, something never-before-seen, something that comes only with their brand and no one else has.
  We’re not going to lie, comfort systems like these are a sweet bonus. They’re engineered to provide maximum comfort, and customers tend to love them.
  However, we need to emphasize that just because a design doesn’t have a comfort technology built into it does not make it inferior in any way. These are a nice bonus, yes, but not every technology works for every person, either. You need to make sure that what you’re getting will definitely help you in the long run, before you commit to a high-tech design.
• Materials: We talked quite a bit about material types in our Materials section, so here we will only expand on it in terms of comfort.
  Genuine leather has that marvelous ability to mold to the wearer’s foot, and provide a customized type of comfort. It is soft and malleable, and you will become addicted to the gentle way it hugs your foot.
  When it comes to faux leather, this is where you need to be a bit more careful. Faux leather tends to be more stiff than natural one, and sometimes it doesn’t even loosen up even after breaking the design in. So be vigilant when selecting an option; make sure you’re feeling as comfortable as possible on the first wear, since even the slightest discomfort will be a certified nightmare later on.
• Footbed: Finally, the footbed is that part of a design which comes in direct contact with your sole. It should be cushioned, but not too soft, and it should provide adequate support on all sides, especially under the arch. Good arch support helps you cover longer distances and reduces foot fatigue in the long run.
  A footbed can also be contoured for extra support and comfort, and designs such as those are very hard to part from at the end of the day.

As we are known to say on this website, durability is hinged on a multitude of factors. These include, but are not limited to - the quality of the materials of a design, the methods used in its construction, how often you wear the design, in what conditions, how well you take care of it, and so on and so forth. Some of these factors you can influence, but some are just the way the shoe is, and there isn’t much you can do to improve its durability.

In regards to the material quality, we have mentioned this several times in this section, but we need to reiterate it here as well: genuine leather is of a much higher quality than synthetic leather. Consequently, genuine leather will last much longer than faux leather - up to a decade even, if it is properly maintained. Genuine leather does require cleaning and conditioning, but that is very little effort and time to invest in a design that will last you years.

Methods of construction are also something you can’t directly influence, as that is up to the manufacturers themselves. Generally speaking though, if a design is stitched - if there is obvious stitching in place where the upper connects to the sole - it is likely that it will last longer than one that is only glued together. Glue dissolves sooner or later, while stitches remain intact for longer.

Lastly, we always advise that you don’t hold yourself back from wearing your new favorite shoes as much as you’d like. Yes, the more you wear it, the more it is at risk of getting scuffed or torn, but there is really no point in giving money for a design that will only sit pretty in your wardrobe.

So go out there and wow everyone with your sharp style and brand new croco patterned footwear!