There are many different types of patinas out there, and many things that you can do on a shoe when it is a blank canvas. I remember the first ‘patinas’ that I ever saw, in the sense that the shoe must have been made on a crust leather (white un-colored leather), and then dyed at the factory. They were on ready made shoes, were of Italian brands, and came in colors like red, green, blue etc. At the time they were mind blowing (this was 8 years ago). They would always have all of these brushstrokes everywhere, which at the time looked very cool, but thinking about it now, makes me realize how cheap they looked because of it. That brings me to the subject at hand. After seeing this picture of what I believe to be a husband’s shoes and wife’s boots, by Septieme Largeur, I realized how much I like a patina that looks natural, clean looking, as if the leather was tanned that way. To be able to give that look of a color fading from top (dark) to toe (light), but have it be so natural looking so that it does not have any defined areas, is simply beautiful in my mind. And the fact that they were able to do that here, makes these two shoes look utterly amazing…..
I believe Pierre Corthay has been using this technique for years it’s very nice.
Exactly! Much as I admire the work of these patina artists, and like some of the more colourful efforts, it’s the natural or nature-inspired ones after which I often hanker.
Love those jodhpur boots. I’d order something from Septieme Largeur but I’m worried about getting a custom patina and finding the shoes don’t fit!
have you tried septieme largeurs shoes justin?
they seem to have some things you eouldnt expect in this sort of price range like jodhpur boots, double monks etc ..
what kind of differences are there between their shoes and higher up the pecking order, is the quality of leather lower, details not done as well as they seem to be making shoes for 1/3-1/2 of the rest of the market!
andy
I’m not sure about “1/3-1/2” of other makers. Average price is about £200, so really very similar to, say, Barker’s Handcrafted or Loake 1880.
They have their own specialities, like closed channel stitching, that offer a comparative plus over similarly-priced English-made shoes, and being able to add a patina to an unfinished shoe for an extra £40 is certainly special compared to the cost of MTO colours from an English maker.
I have been wondering about buying a pair for quite a while, but while they seem good value, they’re still a £200-250 pair of shoes, and I’m reluctant to pull the trigger until there’s a pair I can try on in my own country.
Another option I had in mind was to take an old pair and send them to Mr Nurulaeff at “Dandy Shoes” for a patina and refurb. He charges about 90 Euros for a tidy up and an original patina. Maybe that’s an alternative route to patina experimentation?
Anon – I am sure he has….I just haven’t know about him prior to 4 years ago….
Alex B – Sounds like you need a trip to Paris!
Andy – I have 3 pairs of them…..as far as your other question goes, it’s hard for me to answer unless you give me an example of shoes higher up the pecking order….if you are referring to say EG, then yes, the leather is not going to be as good and the attention to detail either, as one is benchgrade and the other handgrade….if you are referring to C&J, then I believe the difference lies in the fact that England has the most expensive factory workers in the world, and the British Pounds is also one of the strongest currencies….. Read these:
http://the-shoe-snob.blogspot.it/2012/04/grades-of-shoe-craftsmanship.html
http://the-shoe-snob.blogspot.it/2012/05/carmina-spanish-conquistadors.html
here you might understand what separates some makers from others….and how shoes made in Spain, can be just as good, but are significantly cheaper due to the cost of labor in Spain being lower than England…….
There are goodyear welted shoes made in Laos, that are even cheaper than Septieme Largeur, and again it has to do with cost of labor….
I hope that this has helped…
Alex B – Thanks for that! If you do send an old pair to Alexander, let me know how it goes!
-Justin