March 14, 2013
I never really see Bontoni’s anymore and I just finally discovered why. Apparently, the founder (the grandfather) put a clause into the contract when he sold the company (or passed it on) to his heirs (son or grandsons -whichever) stating that he did not want his shoes to be sold in Europe (specifically Italy — on a RTW basis) but only be provided as custom creations. I was told that when they first started, it […]
January 2, 2013
So a while back, I wrote about having an MTO of Scarpe di Bianco in the process and just a few weeks back, I finally received them and wanted to share with all of you whom might also be curious in the brand. As a little background info, Scarpe Di Bianco was created by a gentleman who used to work for Sutor Mantellassi but decided to branch off and start his own company. That being, […]
December 12, 2012
I once wrote an article on the blog in regards to grey shoes becoming the new black. While I still very much believe that we are going to start seeing more grey used in classic footwear companies, looking back at it now, I think that I had jumped the gun with my time frame. But it is refreshing to see such a prestigious and classic company such as George Cleverley producing such a classic shoe […]
September 28, 2012
A few years back a company named Scarpe Di Bianco came on to the scene, blowing the socks off of anyone who appreciated nice footwear. I remember the first time that I saw them (online) and thought to myself, ‘man, I would love to have all of these!’ Not only do they have an enormous collection, as far as styles go, but also make shoes in every single color that you could think of. A […]
September 4, 2012
Being that Envy is one of the great 7 Sins, I must be one of the biggest sinners of all, as when I see shoes like this, I am completely envious of whoever owns them! That being, I must say again that great shoes are created by the great shoemakers, such as Aubercy, that understand how to match a pattern to a last. For example, have you ever seen a good looking full brogue on […]
March 9, 2012
I absolutely love a nice spectator (co-respondent), and this my friends, is among the nicest that I have seen to this day. It doesn’t surprise me either, as most of what I see coming out of the workshops of legendary Laszlo Vass, is nothing shy of spectacular. Having inspired a reader with another model presented on the blog, he went out and found someone who could produce exactly what he was looking for, and the […]
March 2, 2012
The nice thing about Riccardo Bestetti’s shoes is the fact that you can clearly see the defined lines that have been shaped by the lasting of the leather over the last. If not shaped properly during the making process these lines can be blurred into nothing, looking like the last was just some round blob. Granted, most makers have the skill to not let this happen but…..just saying. Now, the wholecut is the absolute hardest […]
July 13, 2011
It’s always mind-boggling to know how many cool shoes are sold each day, around the world, yet how few people I see actually wearing something that is worthy of being considered ‘cool.’ Take these MTO Alfred Sargent’s, for example. They are wonderful! And what’s even better is that the customer, had these made with his own design requests, almost a little bit like going bespoke. But even though I know that this is not the […]
January 16, 2011
If you don’t know, Ronnie Fieg is the man behind many of the best shoe collaborations created in 2010. Yet, this is not his first year on the scene. He has been making waves with Asics for awhile now, creating some of the coolest colorways they have ever had to offer. Hailing from New York, Mr. Fieg, has persevered and worked hard at what’s known as the ‘American Dream.’ Having aspirations to become a sneaker […]
December 29, 2010
Being a big fan of Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, here is another one of my many. I particularly like this one because of the color, a deep, dark gray. Loving this color, I never understood why gray-colored shoes did not become more popular in society. In reality, it’s a very conservative color, much like brown and black and is easily paired with suits that you find most businessmen wearing. Yet, as I have said before, they […]
