Leathers And Materials of Our Shoes

Design your own shoes with our 3D shoe designer, with billions of combinations availableLeather is the most important building block of each of our men's shoes, and its production is a process that requires masterful skill. The following rule of thumb holds true for all quality men's shoes: the more the leather has been processed, the higher it is in quality. And this comes, naturally, at a price. Roughly 47 percent of the production costs involved in making a men's shoe are due to the costly raw material.

 

All of our boots, shoes, bags and leather goods are handmade in Spain. Our manufacturer produces quality leather goods for the most recognized and luxurious brands in Italy and France; like Armani, Gucci and Hermes. Excellence in craftsmanship has been at the very heart of our products for almost 90 years.

 

We only use the finest leathers, suedes and sartorial fabrics from our Italian tannery. This tannery dates back more than 156 years!  Founded in 1865, they have been dedicated exclusively to the tanning of superior quality leather for international top brands like Gaziano & Girling, Crocket & Jones, Gucci and Hermes, just to name a few.

 

Our shoes feature Blake welt and Goodyear welt construction methods. On shoes constructed with Blake welting, the upper component of the shoe is stretched around the insole, and then a single stitch binds the outsole, insole, and upper together. Because the welt is stitched within the interior of the shoe, Blake welting requires a specialized machine to stitch the sole to the upper.

 

The types of leather below represent a full array of leather skins. They are all used in luxury shoe production, and they differ from the “look” and “texture” point of view.

 

Painted Calf Leather

 

Crust calf leather (painted calf) enables artisans to hand paint the pieces with special creams and brushes. The look is very artisanal. We source this leather fromone of the world's best tanneries located in Italy (same crust material used by Santoni, Berlutti, Andres Sendra, among many others).

 

Raw leathers are then hand painted by our artisans.


Besides the “plain” Painted Calf leather, we also offer it engraved with different textures, like full grain or pebble grain.

 

Box Calf Leather

 

The majority of quality men's shoes are made from the hides of calves. Box calf is primarily distinguished by its fineness, pliability, and grain. Box Calf leathers are hand painted by our artisans.

 

Calf Suede

 

Also called “Suede” or “Lux Suede”. This leather is created from the underside of the animal hide, as a result it is softer, and more supple and can have the appearance of a “furry nap”.

 

Kid Suede

 

Kid Suede is the softest, velvety suede leather type which comes from small goat skins. The skins are pretty small, which increases the price of leather (consumption per pair). It has a more refined finish with a smaller grain on the surface.

 

Polished Calf

 

Polished calf refers to rectified grain calf. This eliminates any skin imperfections. The look is not as natural as a regular, plain full grain, but the look is very good, luxurious. This type of leather is quite expensive because of the post-production processes that it needs at the tannery. Polished Calf Leathers are hand painted by our artisans.

 

Patent Leather

 

A type of leather finish whereby the surface is treated to create a highly glossy, shiny appearance.

 

Nubuck Leather

 

Lightweight, supple leather made up of the most outer layer of a hide, the surface is buffed to give the grain a light velvety finish called a “nap”.

 

Sartorial Materials

 

We offer a full array of sartorial fabrics, flannels, and velvets. Sartorial patterns like Tweed, Plaid, Tartan, Herringbone, Leopard, etc.

The result of mixing these sartorial materials with classic hand painted leather in a shoe, can be truly astonishing.

 

Exotic Skins

 

We offer genuine exotic skins in our Made-to-Order program, including Alligator, Python and Ostrich skins, matching our painted calf base colours.

 


Alligator Genuine Skin

 

Alligator mississippiensis” skin renders a very attractive and fashionable leather.The leather is strong, supple, durable and very expensive. A bony layer within the skin adds a protective shield, while a dimple on each scale makes a very exotic look.

 

Hailing from the Southeast USA and frequently harvested from farm-bred gators as well as from wild animals, American alligator skin is a classic, durable and versatile leather. The American alligator’s hide is the soft and more pliable material. This is because the skin of this reptile is less bony than the skin of crocodiles. This softness makes the alligator’s skin easier to work with than the skin of other reptiles, making it easier to work with for cutting, stitching, and folding.

 

Ostrich Genuine Skin

 

Ostrich leather is one of the finest and most durable leathers.It’s a luxurious leather well known for its softness, flexibility, and durability. In spite of its softness, Ostrich leather is unsurpassed for its tactile strength. It is, in fact, one of the strongest leathers available. Naturally occurring oils in the leather contribute to its durability, preventing cracking, even under extreme temperatures and sun exposure.

 

Themain distinguishing feature of ostrich leather is the quill or feather socket markings. The “full quill” area of the leather is the most sought after and therefore the most expensive type of ostrich leather. The quill pattern is the result of large follicles, which each contained a feather.

 

 

Python Genuine Skin

 

Snakeskins are very desirable for shoes because of the unique grain, scales, and colour patterns. Snakes are skinned in two ways, cut down the belly scales leaving the small scales in the centre, “belly” or “front” cut python, and cut down the back leaving the wide belly scale in the centre, called “back” cut python. We use the “front” cut python.

The scales were the snake's protection from the elements and are essentially like a callous, dead skin.The size of the scale will vary depending upon the area of the skin cut. The scales have a “lip” open toward the tail will grab and aid the snake in crawling. This lip is your assurance that the snake is genuine.

 

 


Please, bear in mind that some of our materials are hand painted by our artisans, and no two are ever the same. Each pair is a unique piece of art in its own right, with variations in colour and texture due to the singular handmade painting and brushing processes. Also, we are constantly improving our materials and finishing processes, which may lead to slight colour and texture variations over the time.

 

How long will my order take to be produced?

  • The usual production andshipping time is about 3-5 weeks. Remember that you are purchasing ahandmade made-to-order pair of shoes, that is, your pair is not produced in advance, every part of it will be hand-crafted, exclusively for you, after submitting your order. From the start (leather hand cutting) to finish (sole stitching).
  • Also, please bear in mind that some customizations and artisan methods (i.e., Patina Finishing) are more time-consuming than others. If you customize your order with them, we might exceed the standard manufacturing time.
  • Additionally, bear in mind that some extra customizations (ie. having your initials engraved on the heel) and artisan methods are more time-consuming, and might result in extra manufacturing time. Items customized with these options are not-returnable.
  • When the order is finished, we will ship it to the provided shipping address. You will receive an email notification with the associated tracking number so you can track the status of the parcel online.