Meet Tommaso Melani. He is the owner of Stefano Bemer and, for me, the credit to where that name is today. His is a story that I hold dear as I always felt that
The Recycled Shoe
Recycled shoes are becoming a thing, just as much as say vegan shoes are. Many companies are trying to go sustainable by finding ways to create products from
The Brogue of all Brogues
Paolo Scafora has made what looks like the most complex pattern ever made, at least for a RTW production-style shoe. I thought that the tarsal brogue was the
Up Close Details Series – Stefano Bemer ‘Clasica’ Collection
Here we look a bit more closely at a pair of Stefano Bemer's 'Classica' Collection, one of three of their shoe lines on offer, and what makes this line so
Unboxing Series – Stefano Bemer ‘Classica’ Collection
 Here I unbox a pair of Stefano Bemer's Classica Collection, one of three of their shoe lines on offer. This is what would be considered the 'middle'
Up Close Details Series – Stefano Bemer ‘Essenziale’ Collection
Here we take a closer look at Stefano Bemer 's entry-level shoe range: the Essenziale collection. It goes without saying that if these are the basic shoes
Unboxing Series – Stefano Bemer ‘Essenziale’ Collection
 Here I unbox a pair of Stefano Bemer's Essenziale Collection, one of three of their shoe lines on offer. Stefano Bemer has a special place in my heart
Why Does MTO Take So Long?
Most of us hate to wait for anything. We have been so spoiled with instant gratification that the idea of waiting for your special product to be made, no longer
Barbanera’s New Unlined Collection
Barbanera has recently dropped a new unlined collection of loafers that is surely set to leave most of you desiring to grab a pair, as not only do they look
Next Level Unique by Antonio Meccariello
Some shoes just stop you in your tracks. These bad boys by Meccariello did that for me. Naturally, being a suck for blue suede it is not hard for me to be
Suitsupply Shoes – The Review
I won't lie. I will proudly say that Suitsupply is one of my favorite clothing brands. I won't pretend that I really care where clothes are made from.
Floral Prints by Ducal Firenze
Warning: Not for the faint of heart! I have always had a soft spot for floral prints. When I was younger, I used to buy floral print (subtle ones) shirts
Salvatore Ferragamo Wholecut Oxfords – Gancini Line
We often forget that some of the brands that are now considered 'designer' brands started off as one of the greats and actually paved the way for many other
Bestetti Double Monk Done Differently
The double monk came on the scene a few years back and hit it hard in popularity. The problem is that everyone did the same model and every brand's
London Super Trunk Show 2018 — Brand Highlight #7 — Paolo Scafora
Paolo Scafora is based in Naples, Italy, and was founded by Gennaro Scafora, who named the company after his son. Today, Paolo Scafora runs th
London Super Trunk 2017 – Brand Showcase #1 – Barbanera
The Barbanera brand was launched around 4 years ago by two Italian pairs of brothers coming from a very diverse background, from Rock 'n Roll singer, to
Paolo Scafora – A Man Worth Knowing
While in Florence, I had the absolute pleasure of spending a good amount of time with Paolo Scafora (a Neapolitan shoemaker), not just in a business environment
Exotics – Your cow leather alternatives
Shoes Above: Crocodile by Riccardo Bestetti Up until I moved to Italy to learn bespoke shoemaking, I never really was a fan of exotics. This was partly due
Mario Bemer – Reinventing the Wheel and Doing it Well!
Mario Bemer has been really pushing the boundary of design with his young collection and it is quite refreshing to see. Nearly every model he does has something
Meccariello Madness Part 2
What I love about shoe design in the classic realm of footwear, is when someone really pushes the boundaries and does something completely unique but does so in
The Shoe’s Beginning – Ivan Crivellaro
It's quite interesting to see how the patina of an Ivan Crivellaro shoe will take form, especially on the ones that have so many pieces of leather to
Mario Bemer Bespoke
The side profile of Mario Bemer's bespoke shoes are always flawless in my eyes. Now when I say flawless normally I am talking about the making side but in
Bontoni ‘Incanto’ for Bergdorf Goodman
Last time I was in NYC (Nov '15), I took my typical stroll from Leffot in the Village, up to 6th and about 40th or so, across to 5th and then up to
Bestetti New RTW Chukka Boot
Bestetti seems to be in the workshop day and night working not only on all of his bespoke orders but apparently the release of new models for his RTW
