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The main reason that the shell cordovan costs so much is simply because of the high level of difficulty to craft and the lack of yield from each hide. For example, one full steer hide will yield about 50 square feet of leather and takes about one month to tan and finish. One horsehide yields about 5 square feet of shell cordovan and takes six months to tan. The cost for shell cordovan leather is roughly 10x the price of steer hide (including Chromexcel and Essex). Both leathers have a lot of older, handmade techniques but shell cordovan is mostly crafted by highly experienced and very specially skilled craftspeople. There are about 10 specialized steps required to finish shell cordovan that are each done by hand.
At the end of the day all of the leathers offered on this drop are in the premium category. They are all very nice and choosing one is very personal and subjective. Having said that, Cordovan is very special and should be experienced in person. The bright luster, smooth feel, amazing leather smell, and unique ability to never crease make shell cordovan an exceptional leather for small leather goods and footwear.