There are few boots I’ve enjoyed more in the last year than my Sagara Cordmaster monkey boots in a wonderful matchacore black-overdyed olive Badalassi Minerva veg-tan. And Sagara head man Bagus is one of my favorite people to chat shoes with, period. So it was only a matter of time before we put our heads together on a collab—and here it is.
Say hello to the Bandung Derby in a custom Conceria Cloe mahogany horsebutt with the shell layer still intact. Once I had these simply wonderful shoes on my feet, I realized that the name of the Indonesian city where so much fantastic footwear hails from needs to be celebrated more. Say it with me: ban-DOONG (not ban-DUNG).
After an initial pre-order release for Stitchdown Premium members, there are only 12 pairs of these available for pre-order for $439 (worldwide shipping included), or $400 with a Stitchdown Premium membership (more info on joining here)
The Shoes
The idea behind the Bandung Derby was to call back to old-school 40s/50s military officer shoes, and although I’m fairly certain they didn’t have leather this cool, I think we really nailed it. I love the heel counter on Sagara’s wonderfully balanced derby pattern, and the storm welt lends a touch more chonk (never to be feared) and frames the round-but-still-shapely Morgan last very nicely.
These things are BUILT. The Dr. Sole raw cord full sole gives them some heft for sure—and as anyone who’s worn the raw cord is aware, it requires some work to break in, so definitely anticipate that—but a serious level of pleasing heft is what you should expect. They’re almost the exact same weight as my White’s oxfords (yes I weighed them). Hefty and sturdy as all hell, and I love it.
Bagus also worked up a very unique throwback collaborative stamp on the inside, made intentionally messy to reflect hasty wartime military production—even though the way these are made are anything but that.
That Leather
Again, it’s a custom dyed mahogany horsebutt from Conceria Cloe with the shell still in it. It is serious, serious stuff, really nice and thick but with a uniquely soft hand, and some grain variation here and there.
That shell layer makes for an incredibly tight grain and creasing especially at flex points—after a dozen or so wears I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to really see a visible vamp crease on these. The color is like nothing I’ve really seen before, and varies wildly in different lighting conditions. It’s unique and alluring without being overly bold just for bold’s sake.
My prediction is that the horsebutt will also become quite wild over time, especially if you push the shoes—it tends to pick up nicks and scuffs, leaving a lighter mark when it does. But I’ve had success with a light buffing, and also the ol’ spit-on-the-thumb-and-rub trick to tame it back a bit. I also put some Saphir Renovateur on one section to see what it did, and it seems to work very nicely at restoring the original consistent color, but leaves behind a dark memory of the scratch, which I imagine over time will create some very excellent character.
Either way, these are not for the patina-averse. I can only imagine how cool and unique they’ll look in six months.
The Specs
- Morgan last
- Dr. Sole raw cord full sole
- An absolutely beautiful tonal storm welt
- Six brass eyelets
- Structured toe
- Lined upper
- Very cool custom military-style commemorative Sagara/Stitchdown stamp Bagus made because he is the best
Sizing
I’m an 11D Brannock and 44 in these (and my Cordmasters) is about as perfect a fit as I have on any of my shoes with medium-ish socks.
How to Order
- Just DM @sagarabootmaker on Instagram to get your order started
- The price is $439, or $400 for Stitchdown Premium members, with worldwide shipping included
- $200 deposit due on ordering, balance due before delivery
- Again, this is a very limited run with 12 pairs remaining as of today, and delivery should be in late April or early May
- Orders are open through Monday, February 22, 2021
Feel free to DM me or Bagus on Instagram, or email me at ben@stitchdown.com with any questions at all!