Italigente Milano

It is hard to image how many different processes a pair of quality shoes requires. Like giving the sole its unique finish. Some might call it vanity, but we really think the design of the sole is important. Here is a short story on how ours are made. 

First the sole edges are cut quite roughly.

Then the sole is polished again in order to gain some smoother edges.

This friendly gentleman, who I have sadly forgotten the name of, has been working with shoes for 56 years. A true artisan at work. Here he is painting the sole edges.

Painting the sole.

The final result.

Italigente Berlino in Charles F Steads WP Suede with rubber sole.

The picture above comes from the swedish wine blog “Finare Vinare“. For wine enthusiasts we really recommend a visit.

Roma is a new style for the coming spring season. If you want to order a pair right now please send a request to info@italigente.com.

At Italigente we really like the idea of shoe that goes with the entire wardrobe. Like our wholecut style Venezia, which are as elegant to a business suit as a pair of denim trousers. Regardless what style you like best, you can never care too much when picking shoes for the day.

Venezia with a pair of suit trousers from Raffaele Caruso in a pretty heavy english wool cloth.

The wholecut shape and brown colour goes really well with a pair of denim trousers. Casual, yet very elegant.

Last week I visited Bergamo for two lovely autumn days – A really beautiful city with some fascinating architecture. One of the best experience of the visit was actually this wine we found on a small restaurant on the top of “La Citti Alta” from Poderi Aldo Conterno, called Conca Tre Pile Barbera D’Alba, 2006.  Maybe the tasting was a bit distracted by the lovely surroundings, but one thing is for sure – Italians not only know how to make beautiful shoes they make some really stunning wine.

Above you see some pictures from Bergamo.

At Italigente we like that idea of every single pair of shoe being completely unique. That is why we pay a lot of attention to the finish of our shoes. Before being attached to sole the upper leather is polished with an aqueous solution, which gives a shimmering effect to the leather. After the sole is attached the shoe is polished with shoe cream in 2-3 layers depending on the colour of the shoe. This process makes a pair of Italigente to stand out.

On the picture above you get a sneak peek of our new model Montenapoleone, a classic double monk strap, which will be available in spring.

Last week we visited the factory in Montegranaro, Marche, to make the last adjustment for the coming spring/summer collection. There are a lot of changes ahead – both in terms of new models and improved details. More info will come soon, but just to give you a hint of what is going on:

Some people are really afraid of buying suede shoes. Arguments that suede is useless in bad weather and way more difficult to look after than smooth leather is really common. This view often arises from experiencing suede of poor quality. When it comes to high-quality suede, this type of leather is truly fantastic.

For our suede shoes we use leathers from British Tannery Charles F. Stead & Co, who are specialised in tanning premium suede qualities. What makes them really unique is their technique of tightening the fibre structure of the leather, which gives superior performances to suede that is being stretched in order to minimize the loss. C.F Steads  actually shrinks their leather between 15% and 30% of the original size.  The result is not only excellent durability but also a greater lustre.

For further reading we recommend Charles F. Steads website. Top picture: Stoccolma in Charles F. Steads Janus Calf Suede, Bitter Chocolate.