Ayu Blog Site: Whole Cut Shoes

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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.

Laszlo Vass: A Private Collection

Laszlo Vass shoes are truly beautiful. And coming from me, who is not the biggest fan of protruding welts and thick soles (at least not on slim dress shoes), it means a lot. He has managed to somehow create a shoe that is dressy, but has a pretty substantial sole on it, yet still be incredibly elegant. This is not easy to do. Maybe that is why, for such a small Hungarian shoemaker, he has quite a large following. This picture, for example, comes from the Style Forum, of which there is a thread that is dedicated to Laszlo Vass shoes and is call 'The Ultimate Vass Porn Thread.' This impressive collection comes from one of SF's leading wardrobe owner, meaning that he is famed for having a ridiculous amount of clothing and shoes. It's tough, I know. I can only read so much of this thread (and others like it) before I fill up with envy, especially when i see pictures like this, where someone takes a picture of his 5 brand new shoes that must have just arrived. Seriously....I would love to be able to order 5 shoes at a time, wouldn't you??? Well, I must say that the wholecut and u-cap models (both second from left and right) have stolen my heart. They are magnificent, beautiful, elegant and worst of all....not mine!

Today's Favorites - Crocodile Whole Cuts by Riccardo Bestetti

There is beauty and then there is beauty. These shoes by Riccardo Bestetti fall into both categories. There is nothing quite like a whole cut shoe in crocodile, as I believe this is the only way that one should have it. Just the other day, this American gentleman was in G&H and he had a pair of crocodile cowboy boots in sea blue coloring that he wanted me to shine. While I was not so enamored with the fact that they were cowboy boots, I was head over heels for the leather in the magnificent blue that it was in. It made me think that one day, when I have enough money, I might commission Mr. Bestetti to make me a pair of these whole cuts in blue crocodile. What a sight that will be.... Anyway, enjoy the beautiful pieces of art that these are, and don't get too jealous of that beautiful fiddleback waist.

Shoes Of The Week - Bontoni Whole Cuts

Even though I can be pretty ostentatious and like shoes that are crazy colors and uniquely designed, I still admire more than anything a shoe that defies all matter of out-of-the-box creativity and sticks to the basics, such as this elegant whole cut by Bontoni. And even more so, I love a whole cut that has brogueing on it. The brogueing somehow adds to the beauty of the shoe, not quite taking away from the fact that it is an actual whole cut, but providing that little bit of extra pizazz to not make it so plain and possibly boring. Then to top if all off, the leather of this shoe, which has clearly been given a beautiful patina, adds just that much more to the overall elegance and desirability of the shoe, creating something that in my mind will go down as one of the nicest shoes that I have ever seen. A bold statement definitely, but a true one....

Picture Compliments Of: The Style Buff

Today's Favorites - a.Testoni

One thing that you do not see that often, is people wearing red shoes. Granted, the Pope, has done a good job at trying to promote them, but it so far hasn't seemed to catch on. I guess that I can understand why too. They do make quite a statement. When I wear my red wingtips with white piping, you can believe that there is not a shortage of looks that I receive, whether they are in adoration or in revulsion. Nevertheless, it doesn't bother me, but then again, I don't break them out that often. However, these ones by a.Testoni, on the other hand (although may be red), do not seem to be too overbearing. At least, this is what I gather from the picture. In person, they might blind the most conservative of sorts. However, I believe that with a nice navy suit, maybe a flannel one, these shoes could be quite a lovely contrast. Definitely a shoe for a shoe lover, and I won't say as I usually do that they could be integrated into a business environment, because they could not. But I will say, that red can indeed pair nicely with many suit colors, should one be so creative to attempt it.

Shoes Of The Week - Pigskin Wholecuts by Carreducker

The more that I see pigskin used for shoemaking, the more that it grows on me. At first I was not so keen on it, not really sure why, just that I wasn't. But with each time that I get to see a new shoe made up using it, the more that I begin to appreciate the uniqueness of its texture and coloring. Now I could be making this up in my head, but having been around the two or three bespoke models that I have shined, I always seem to notice that the toe area's texture is a bit different than the rest of the shoe (as shown best in last picture). It's as if that when they were lasted over, the grain of the skin expanded and became a lot more smooth and prominent. It's quite a nice look and makes for a great toe shine. This model here, made by Carreducker, is almost precisely how I would want one should it ever come to that. I feel like when it comes to exotic leather, being that most of them have some sort of ostentatious texture to them, they are best served without any added detail i.e. stitching. That being, a whole cut provides the best pattern for them, at least my mind. But that does not mean that I do not appreciate them (exotic leather shoes) in other examples....just that I much more prefer the beautiful blank canvas of the whole cut....particularly in a nice pigskin!

Today's Favorites - Septieme Largeur

I figured that while I have been pitching wholecuts quite tough for the last few weeks or so, I might as well keep on! I mean, how could I not after seeing these bad boys by Septieme Largeur? It just makes sense, doesn't it? I think so.....Nevertheless, the beauty about having a custom patina done on your shoes is the fact that you can have any shade of color that you would like, and even multiple shades of many colors if you fancy that. You see, for me, this blue is perfect. It's not too light, but it's not too dark either. It's just right and shows you that it is a blue. There would be not question about it, like navy can sometimes come across as black. This is blue, period. But you would have a hard time finding this exact color at a leather tannery or supplier. There might be something close, but not exact, and more likely than not, once lasted it would not look the same. It's amazing how far along shoes have come since their conception. I remember once going to some museum and seeing replicas of some of the first shoes made, and to think that since then we can now do what we do, having customized fit, color, shape, detail etc....it's quite amazing.....yet I feel that we are at the peak in terms of customization (not craftsmanship), because what more could we truly do to make a shoe unique? Add hovering capabilities? :-)

Shoes Of The Week - Bestetti Gray Wholecuts

The nice thing about Riccardo Bestetti's shoes is the fact that you can clearly see the defined lines that have been shaped by the lasting of the leather over the last. If not shaped properly during the making process these lines can be blurred into nothing, looking like the last was just some round blob. Granted, most makers have the skill to not let this happen but.....just saying. Now, the wholecut is the absolute hardest shoe to last, because you don't have the give that is created by having multiple pieces of leather stitched together. It being one piece makes it much harder to shape and pull over the last without any air pockets being created, particularly on the outside of the bottom bit of lacing. But looking at these shoes, you see that it was done properly and every line of that last is represented here, from good making. Now aside from being beautifully shaped, I love the idea of a gray wholecut, much better than the black version that is so necessary in today's society. But imagine if we let go of the idea of a black shoe being standard....how nice would it be to have gray be the new black? For me, it would be amazing!

The Only Dress Shoe Ever Really Needed - The Black Wholecut

Gaziano & Girling Deco Range: Cooper

This title might sound like shoe lover blasphemy, and believe me I can't say that I would ever think of just having one, but.....if life presented itself with this situation, it's best to be equipped with what is going to get you through it all. What made me think of this was a discussion that was occurring on Style Forum (a while back) in regards to one's absolute shoe essentials. One gentleman stated that instead of having multiple essentials, he would have preferred to have just one shoe that could get him through each and every situation. Now, he did not mention the black wholecut, and this is where him and I will differ but I got to thinking about people out there who may only be able to afford getting just one or simply can't justify having multiple options. That being, thinking about society, 'the rules' and 'norms', and all of the different possible outfits one would need in life, I decided to create my own little idea of what would be the best option out there for all around purposes. And because I once learned in philosophy class at Uni that every statement needs to be argued against and then re-argued for, I will list my don'ts and do's below.

Berluti

What Not To Wear Black Wholecuts With

In all of the shoe-dom, there is not one shoe style that goes with everything, not even the versatile brown full brogue (can't pair it with black!). And while you might think that a black shoe can go with most things...let me tell you that the wholecut is just not any 'ol black shoe. It's in another category due to it's cleanliness look from being virtually stitch free. That being, there are some types of trousers that just won't measure up to the aesthetic of the black wholecut. For example, jeans being one of them. While I am a total jean guy and do like to wear my leather soled shoes with jeans, I don't think that I would ever pair a black wholecut with them. It's just too contrasting: a mega-dress shoe with real casual trousers (jeans). It just doesn't work. Same thing with khakis, they are simply too casual for the likes of the black wholecut. It would not look right, as neither would anything green or brown. Now you might feel that there are many things limiting here....but in reality, how often do you wear green or brown trousers? Khakis and jeans are much more common, but are also much more casual and hence the title being about a dress shoe, I feel that this is not so bad!

Koji Suzuki

What To Wear Black Wholecuts With

Now this list is going to be much more extensive, not so much in option of clothing, but in colors that the average person uses. Think about what we wear most: grays and blues (mostly navy), particularly in our suiting. While I used to not be an advocate of pairing navy with black, the more I find myself here in England, the more I find it acceptable. While it still would not ever be my preferred pairing, it does look good when needing to be elegantly conservative. That being, you satisfy most of your professional wardrobe, not to mention anything that is formal. In reality, you don't need a patent shoe, but just need to put a real nice shine on a black wholecut and instead of being like everyone else at the black tie event, you will be the one with a brilliant shine and a much more elegant shoe (in my opinion). As for other occasions, what do you wear when going to an interview? What do you wear when going to a nice dinner? You wear black shoes. And the wholecut, being the most elegant of all, will neither look too formal nor too shabby. It will be the safe choice. Obviously, these are not end-all-be-all rules, but when talking about the one shoe that will safely get you by in every occasion, you can't go wrong with the black dress shoe, and even more so, than the minimalistic wholecut. So, if you are a young chap looking for your first dress shoe, look no further than a lovely black wholecut!

Gaziano & Girling bespoke model

Today's Favorites: Customer's Berluti Shoes

I never seem to tire of old Berluti shoes. Every time I have to shine them, even though they are not my favorite shoe, I seem to enjoy them more than anything else. Partly because the leather shines so easily and therefore makes my job a lot more pleasurable, but mainly because of the fact that even when they come to me all beat up and knackered beyond belief, after a bit of polish and elbow grease, they become like pieces of antiquity art. And while I am sure they look stunning when a customer just purchases them, I can't help but feel that their true beauty lies within a few years of them aging. The patina seems to become much more intricate and can even be intensified or taken down a notch with a bit of polish. Being the glutton that I am for unique coloring, I always do my best to bring out the undertones in the leather......which only makes beautiful shoes like this, look even better!