Paris Part 2 -- Paulus Bolten, The Patina Artist

As many of you who frequently read my blog may know, the art of the patina is something that is appreciated and practiced, as a profession, by several people in France. One of those people, would be the magnificent Paulus Bolten, who is the owner of Patine & Glacage Souliers. So while I was in Paris, I figured that even though I love all of my shoes the way they are, I might as well utilize the service to see it transform my shoes, first hand. And so it did. In reality, I did not have a shoe on me (as I left all of the crummy one's back in the States) that I wanted to change, so I bought these Edward Green's made for Gieves & Hawkes shoes (old ones) from a friend of mine who had never worn them and was looking to get rid of them. Talk about a win-win situation: new shoes + Edward Green's + 75 GBP + shoes for patina = amazing deal & timing! And thus you can see the transformation below....

It's an amazing service that Paulus has created here, as it truly can give you a new pair of shoes. I had been dying for a nice pair of burgundy loafers and never see one that I like or that cost less than 700 GBP, so I was at a loss, until I came across Paulus and his service and he was able to make my shoes not only burgundy, but customized too, by keeping the strap the original color and giving the shoe a bit of character. Since the first time that I put up this service, I know that several of my readers have been to see him or have posted their shoes to him in order to utilize the service and from what I know have thoroughly enjoyed it (pics below). The service starts at about 70 euros and goes up from their depending on what you would like done. But, as Paulus is clearly magical with the patina, you can see that it is well worth it.

To contact him directly you can email him at paulbolten@free.fr

Let me know if you do and send me pictures of the before and after so that I can put it up on the blog!

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

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Aged Burgundy Berluti's

I don't think that any color of shoe ages more beautifully than that of burgundy/oxblood/cordovan. The natural patina that a burgundy shoe creates over the years, due to wear & tear, the sunlight, dirt, practically everything really, brings out the most unique coloring effects on the leather. So when a customer brought me these lovely Berluti wholecuts, that looked about 10-15 years old, I knew that I was going to have to share them with all of you, just to show you what the industry is missing: More Burgundy Wholecuts!! Even with all of the creases in the leather, this might have been one of the most beautiful shoes that I have ever seen. Granted, they were Berlutis, so there must have been a patina applied when they were first made, but I could tell that what had remained after all these years, was built out of natural aging. With the pictures, I have put how they looked in the beginning (which was not bad to begin with) and then added the pics of how they looked after I shined them. As always, you will see that in some they look way lighter and in others they were quite reddish/burgundy, when in fact, the most accurate of them all is the very top picture.

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Edward Green's & Three-Piece Suits: Part 2

A while back I wrote a post about how I have always wanted to own Edward Green shoes and a three-piece suit and the fact that since I was now in England (earning in the British pound) it should make it easier to acquire these two things. Well, I finally got them, as I am showing you today. The only problem is that the Edward Green's are not stamped Edward Green, but rather Gieves & Hawkes. But they were made by EG, so for now that will have to do, until I get a pair from the store or something. Aside from that little oversight, I am quite pleased to have been able to get what I have always wanted. Granted, getting a three-piece suit in the States would not have been that difficult but I am a picky guy and the only options out there were way above my pay grade. And let's be fair, the tailoring in the States in no where near what it is on Savile Row. So, me being the patient one that I tend normally not to be, worked out great in the end with this made-to-measure number. And now I just need to continue building up my three-piece and double-breasted suit wardrobe....!

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Shoe Of The Day - Altan Bottier

Dear Readers,

I know that I normally do long posts on Monday, and I actually was writing one and had finished all of the text, when the internet froze and deleted a paragraph and a half of writing. Today has already been "one of those days" and now I simply can't be bothered to finish it by tonight. That being, feast your eyes on these beauties, by Altan Bottier, and please come back tomorrow to read my post about the different grades of shoe craftsmanship.

Thanks for your understanding.

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

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What I Am Wearing

There is nothing like a nice brogue. A good one can literally get you through almost anything. And while mine is slightly on the more casual side, due to it being a boot and having those metal eyelets, it still does a good job of appeasing my outfits ranging from casual to smart (dress casual). However, I would not pair these with a suit, at least not 95% of them. A heavy flannel just might go nice with these, but that would vary upon the cloth, the cut and the eye of the beholder. Nevertheless, being The Shoe Snob, I am ashamed to admit that this is my only real brogue shoe (being close to a full). While I have others that are half or quarter brogues, I don't even truly have a real full-brogue in any of the standard colors (brown, black, tan or burgundy - just my one in green, but that doesn't count). Funny enough its my self-proclaimed most versatile shoe in the world, yet there isn't one in my closet. I guess that when I was making shoes, I got too caught up in trying to do things that were unique, so much so that I pretty much ruled out making at least one basic. Oh well, soon enough I will have one in each color!

Shoes: Septieme Largeur
Jacket: Pete Werth
Trousers: H&M
Jumper: Banana Republic
Shirt: Primark
Knit Tie: Gieves & Hawkes

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What I Am Wearing

For the life of me, I still cannot understand why I don't see more gentlemen wearing burgundy shoes. Come to think of it, I can't seem to recall, ever since I have been in this country (England), having seen someone wearing burgundy shoes with a suit, and almost, burgundy shoes period. It's such a lovely color that compliments blue better than any other color (even brown), yet it would appear that not many other people share that same sentiment. It could also very well be that English shoemakers (from what I have seen) don't really offer that many shoes in the burgundy color. Sure they may have one or two out of their entire collection, but if you don't happen to like the model that the burgundy shoe comes in, you aren't going to buy it, are you? It's literally like people have just been conditioned to make black shoes and wear them, with everything they have. Of course you have the rebellious ones that wear brown, but rare are the men who put on a burgundy shoe. Well, for now I guess that I will stand alone, and hope that with the introduction of my shoe line, and my burgundy wholecut that will be offered, more people will see that it's a lovely color that compliments, beautifully, a navy suit!

Shoes: Bespoke, made by me
Suit: Gieves & Hawkes, Made To Measure
Shirt: Don't remember, from TK Maxx
Tie: Tino Cosma

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Shoes Of The Week - Dimitri Bottier Seamless Whole Cut

It's amazing that the hardest shoe to make, is the shoe that has the least amount of detail to it. And while I can't really back that statement up with in-depth description of how it is done (since I am not entirely sure), I can say that the seamless wholecut is something that few people can create. This model here, by legendary bespoke maker Dimitri Gomez, is a perfect example of just how beautiful this design can be. To me, the wholecut (and especially seamless version) tells you a lot about the shoemaker. The reason being, is that when you take away all of the fluff (e.g. stitching, brogueing, detailing), all that you are left with is the shape of the last and how the leather sits on that shape. That little thing, will tell you just how well the pattern/last maker understands shape and proportion. A last can be designed a trillion ways, but only a few of them will make you say, "WOW!" And there is no better shoe than the seamless wholecut to make you see that. Needless to say, this model shown is simply flawless and I can tell you, while I have a nice burgundy wholecut already, I will commission one of these sometime in the future!!

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Today's Favorites - Vass V Caps

When it comes to shortwings (wing-caps that don't extend to the mid section of the shoe), there is a very fine line between well-done and ugly. These shoes right here, by Mr. Laszlo Vass, happen to be on the pleasant side of that scale, but make you think about how you feel about them (at least they did for me). At first I thought that they were a shortwing (from a quick glance at the picture) but the more that I studied them and their interesting angles and curves on the various 'upper' pieces, I started to realize (after actually reading about them) that they are not shortwings at all. They are simply a cap toe with a pointed middle section, or what they call a V cap. I think that simple fact of uncertainty that this style creates is part of what makes them appeal to me. It makes you want to give it a double take, wondering what style of shoe it actually is. Bearing that in mind takes me back to the post I wrote about in regards to unique styling, as it would appear that when creating this pattern for the first time, he wanted to create the child that a love affair between a shortwing and a cap toe would make!

Picture Courtesy Of: Zimmerman & Kim

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Shoes Of The Week - Alexandre Portejoie

As much as you don't see burgundy shoes as often as I would like to, I can tell you that burgundy boots are even far less common, yet to me are ever so more appealing than what you do actually see on the shelves. This model here is by a French shoe designer/maker, named Alexandre Portejoie, who is quite known for his out-of-this-world creations. This boot, while being still a bit on the 'forward' side with its pointy toe and decoration, is one of his tamest creations, believe it or not. And what drives me to it, aside from the lovely color created from the patina, is the big, heavy duty sole that it has been made with. You see, while I don't like bulky shoes (or bulky soles for that matter), I much less like the idea of it being snowy or real rainy out and having to wear some Red Wing boot to save my shoes from being destroyed. That being, a beautiful boot like this with a nice, heavy sole on it (still cut to look dressy) allows one to not only face that awful weather but be able to do so in smart clothing without having to look like a hiker in his rugged boots....

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What I Am Wearing

I have never really been a big fan of pairing sport coats with trousers, but since I have a few jackets, I try and force myself as much as I can. The reason that I am not such a big fan of it, is the fact that I feel that the outfit always seems to look a bit jumbled, considering the fact that you don't tend to match the color of your trousers to your jacket, which leaves you pairing many colors together. I do have to say though, that this is something that the Italian population has down to a "T," and something that I truly envy them for. But I guess that with money (and time), I will only get better, as I will purposefully coordinate the outfit at the store and then buy it, as opposed to buying separate pieces (like I do) and trying to work them out at home during my morning rush. Nevertheless, utilizing outfits like this (on the more dress-casual side) allows me to wear my loafers more, which I am currently in a phase with....

Shoes: Gieves & Hawkes (by Edward Green and dyed by Paulus Bolten)
Jacket: Pete Werth
Trousers: H&M
Shirt: Ted Baker
Tie: Gieves & Hawkes

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