What was inspiring about Stefano Bemer was his love and obsession for being able to find every kind of possible leather and material to make his shoes with. This pair in particular was made using shark skin leather. I always had a love/hate relationship with shark skin leather during my apprenticeship with him. Depending on the shoe’s model and the cut of it I either loved or hated the fact that it was made with shark skin. This model I actually really liked. The picture may not give it much justice but it’s feel and texture is unlike any other skin that I came encounter with. I particularly liked it in a burgundy color and thought that the burgundy really brought out the details of the skin. He used many other skins that I will post for you in future articles but for now please enjoy this because it is not too often that you find a shoe maker who uses these obscure leathers.
How difficult is it to find shark skin that coordinates like that? I'm thinking it should similar to making an exquisite pearl necklace,in terms of obtaining such symmetry in the final product.
Honestly I have no idea, but I can imagine that a good shoemaker would treat it as crocodile and try to find two hides that were as close as possible in symmetry. But I don't know how hard it is, whether or not shark skin is more similar from one shark to another.