A type of fine soft leather, originally made from goatskin in Córdoba, Spain, used historically for shoes and decorative items.
From Old English cordwan, derived from Córdoba, Spain, where this leather was produced. The term was used in medieval England and Europe to denote this prestigious imported leather that represented luxury and quality craftsmanship.
Cordwain leather was so valuable in medieval times that owning cordwain shoes proved you had money and connections to Mediterranean trade routes—it was the Prada of the Middle Ages, literally imported luxury goods.
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