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.

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"

Hom Nguyen - The Leather Artist

There are patina masters and then there is Hom Nguyen. And in case you did not know, this guy makes Berluti's finishes look mediocre, and because of that, I feel (but this is total speculation) that they might even use him to do some of their more outlandish work, such as the 'tattooing.' His artistry is remarkable and to be honest, I am quite jealous of his skills and wish that I knew how to do them as well. Because having this ability is kind of like being a tailor, where you can take existing pieces and alter them to your exact liking. How cool would that be?? Well, as far as background knowledge, I don't have much on him, as every article is in French, but it would seem to be that he is the new kid on the French patina block, making big waves as his work continues to impress everyone!

What's great about the shoe industry these days is that so many unique things are taking place. It has evolved so much over history and even in the last 10 years, things are exponentially changing and progressing to become more diverse and unique. Who would of thought that people would be wearing shoes down the street, that have pictures on them, like tattoos? Or that young urban designers would be collaborating with old conservative shoe companies? Who would have thought? No one!! But it's great that it's happening and I am excited to know that I will soon be apart of that, hopefully making history, and doing so with the help of all of you! Alright, inspirational speech is officially over, so let's get down to Hom business... This guy is simply amazing!! There really is no other way of describing it. He is like the Da Vinci of leather artwork. I mean, look at that Iron Man drawing spread out over 6 shoes. That's crazy, but absolutely brilliant!!

As you can see, his work is not limited to shoes, nor anything for that matter. If it is leather, he can design on it. While I can't imagine that his work is inexpensive, I now know that when I buy my first nice briefcase, I am definitely going to take it to him to give an antiqued look, as I think that briefcases look so much better when given a beautiful patina, instead of just looking flat.

It makes me curious to know, how the art of the patina or leather altering via dye's became so popular in France and who was the pioneer to this lovely industry. It's funny too, that no other country has really stepped up to challenge them. It's such a beautiful art that you would think that other people would attempt it. But as of yet, I have not noticed anyone. But obviously, as things progress, it is inevitable that someone, somewhere will step up to the plate and give the French patina artists a run for their money!