The Process

Six weeks of work, per pair.

The same construction methods that defined dress footwear in the nineteenth century, executed at the same standard, by the same number of hands.

Hide Selection

We buy whole hides from a small set of European tanneries, inspect each one by hand, and reject anything we wouldn't put on a customer's foot.

Pattern & Cutting

Patterns are cut by hand from the strongest part of each hide. Stretch direction matters as much as appearance.

Closing & Stitching

Uppers are closed by hand on saddle-stitching ponies — two needles, waxed linen, locked stitch. It takes longer, but the seam survives the leather around it.

Lasting

Each upper is hand-lasted onto a wooden form and left to set for at least 72 hours so the shape holds for a lifetime.

Welting

A strip of leather is hand-stitched through the upper, insole, and outsole. This is the construction that makes every pair resoleable.

Finishing

Edges are inked, burnished, and polished by hand. The final mirror finish takes several hours per pair.