Ten years ago I shared a picture from the vintage shoe store Chart in Koenji, an area in Tokyo that is filled with vintage shoes, vintage clothes and other vintage goods. During my last visit in the city I went back, and of course hade to visit Chart and its sibling store Whistler again.
The Italian shoemaker Calzoleria Carlino’s famous campaign where they offer exotics at no upcharge is back, and this year bigger and better than ever. For the whole of June one can order any type of exotics leather handmade shoes at the same price as calf. So not only alligator or crocodile, but other very special stuff, often vintage skins, like hippo, seal, capybara/carpincho, elephant, stingray and more.
My latest new pair is a bespoke seamless faux adelaide in a lovely medium brown suede, made by Catella Shoemaker. Shoes made to the absolute highest level possible. In this article there’s loads of photos as well as films of both the making and the final pair.
Last weekend the eight edition of the big shoe event in London took place, including having three exciting world championships contests in shoe shining, shoe patina and shoemaking playing out. Here’s a substantial report from the day with lots of photos from all the exhibitors, contests and stage happenings.
You know the drill by now. Since it always takes some time for me to finish the huge articles covering all contest shoes of the world champs, we have a picture special showing the top three that were appointed at the London super trunk the past weekend. Winner this year was Ken Kataoka, runner up Twinkima.G and 3rd Dmitry Avdyukhov.
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Here we will live stream four sessions from the London Super Trunk Show today Saturday May 9. Two sessions, live from the world championships of shoe shining final and later the award ceremonies for the world champs of shoemaking and shoe patina. Will also be uploaded and viewable after the live sessions.
Today the shocking news came that Tommaso Melani has passed away. He took over the Italian shoemaking company Stefano Bemer after its founder died in 2012, and has been doing an incredible job with developing the firm and established it as one of the most important Italian classic men’s shoe companies. A truly sad day for the shoe world.
The London super trunk week is here, and there’s more happenings than ever this time. We warm up with an evening event at Carmina’s store on Friday, and at Saturday’s big event there’s apart from the exhibitions an expanded stage programme throughout the day. Here’s practical info for those of you who plan to attend, and those who will follow the live streams from the three world championship contests.
That leather shoes can stretch is something most people are aware of, but how much they actually do so is far less straightforward. A key reason for this is that leather doesn’t stretch according to any fixed rule, but instead adapts to the forces it’s exposed to. In practice, this means that pressure from the foot is one of the most decisive factors in how a shoe will change over time.
There’s some old textured leathers that has such a special character that becomes so popular that it’s copied as embossed leathers by plenty of other tanneries. The old Russian reindeer found on the shipwreck of Metta Catharina is likely the most famous one, another one is the German tannery Carl Freudenberg’s Impala grain.
