Laszlo Vass Saddle Derbys

I was having a chat with my good friend Thomas Kalflo (patina artist for G&G) yesterday about how crocodile/alligator leather allows for an infinitely better patina due to the scales of the skin and the depth of shading that it thus allows. The problem though is that it is also infinitely harder and takes a very long time, 10 hours for a full pair. The reason being that you have to do it scale by scale (if you want to do it right).

You can see just how beautiful the patina was on this saddle shoe by Laszlo Vass. While it very well could be the angle of the picture, it would appear that they graded the color from dark (bottom of saddle) to light (top part of it). It’s quite a nice effect if it was indeed done like that. Either way the shoe is magnificent, even in it’s old form and it’s nice to see that a few people out there are ordering smart saddle shoes. I would love to see it become a model more typically offered…but somehow I am not convinced that it will.

On another note, I am sad to say that I have officially left Gieves & Hawkes and you will no longer find me there from now onwards. I have also left the shoe shine business behind to start focusing more on my shoe and accessory range. It’s a new era for me and it will soon start at Timothy Everest on Elder st. here in London. However it will probably be a few weeks before I am fully operational there so please bare with me while I complete my transition.

Sincerely,

Justin, “The Shoe Snob”