B-WARE / SECONDS

These shoes are offered at a reduced price (€115 less) because there's a possibility flaws may develop after some time of wear. Some pairs from the production seem not to have been glued to our usual standards, but we can't tell which pairs are affected just by looking at them, so we're discounting all of the batch. If the gluing is less than optimal, it means the sole may eventually show some separation from the upper. There's a chance it will be nothing more than a little aesthetic imperfection, with the blake stitch ensuring a good functional bond at the front of the shoe. But there is a possibility the separation will eventually become significant enough to warrant repair (which should be an easy task for any good cobbler) or early retirement. We also have a doubt as to how well the lining has been glued on the inside heel of the shoe, and this could mean there's more movement and wear and tear of the lining over time. 

These are sold as-is and are non-returnable. 

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We're excited and honoured that the Badalassi tannery, in Tuscany, have agreed to supply us with their magnificent leather for a new range of shoes, boots and sneakers. 

BRUNETTE is a boot in our traditional form - fully calfskin lined and rubber soled for exceptional comfort. 

The upper leather is vegetable-tanned calfskin in a chestnut brown with a slight hint of fox. It's created using a traditional Tuscan tanning process dating back to 800AD. The calf shoulders are sourced for their superior quality in France, and tanned in Italy with extracts of tree trunk, bark, chestnut and mimosa and soaked in wooden barrels with animal fat, before being hung on the ceiling to dry naturally over time. 

The entire process happens by hand and the result is gorgeous - in smell, in sight, in touch. The leather is rich and smooth to the touch, albeit with a subtle texture, as the fine natural grain of the skin is retained, its small imperfections and wrinkles speaking to the absence of any homogenisation in its creation. 

There are small variations in colour intensity and grain from skin to skin, or within the same skin, and so within each pair of shoes. The colour will evolve over time and with wear and a very slight pull-up effect is evident, given the presence of oils and fats. This has never been a uniform leather and so can not remain uniform - lighter flecks and darker patinas may emerge, and a distressed look can be embraced or tempered with a little beeswax.

We love this leather and we hope you will too.