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 - Aubercy Penny Loafers

The last shape of these loafers, by Aubercy, is absolutely stunning!! It's literally at that level, where it's perfect. Not too pointy, yet not too round either. Just right. And that's hard to do, truly. But I think that I have to say, that this just might have taken the lead in the race for my favorite black loafer. Everything about this shoe screams elegance and beauty. And it would seem that Aubercy is always hitting the nail on the head, but it's so hard to find them selling anywhere outside of France (with the exception of Leffot in NYC). As I have been noticing with my Miro loafer (in black) by Septieme Largeur, a beautiful model such as this, can take you a long way in the outfit department. There are not many things (literally) that you can't wear a pair like this with. They are elegant enough to pair with suits, yet loafer(y) enough to throw on with some nice jeans or casual trousers.....And the more that I wear my Miro's, the more that I think that I need a second pair, so that they don't wear out so quick....hmmmm....

Picture Courtesy Of: Depiedencap

Paris Part 1: Septieme Largeur Store Visit

On a relatively quiet street (Rue Saint-Lazare), just 10 minutes walking distance from the famous Galleries Lafayette and a spitting's distance from Saint Trinite' square, lies the wonderfully simplistic shop of Septieme Largeur. As I have become such a huge fan of the brand, since their introduction on my blog, it was definitely a place that I needed to visit, get some product from, and do a nice write up for all of you. That being, please enjoy what is about to come....

There are several things that set apart Septieme Largeur from the rest of the shoe brands of the world. One is that they offer a patina service for the shoes that they sell. So if you see a model that you would like but would rather have it in a non-conventional color, or maybe just one that they do not offer, it is not a problem, as they will do it for you for just an extra 50 Euros. Below, you can see an example of how a customer purchased a shoe in natural and gave it an aubergine patina. The other aspect that sets them apart would be their Allen Edmonds type pricing, in which they offer good quality leather and goodyear welted construction from a price range that starts at 245 Euros and ends at 295 Euros. It's not the lowest of the price scale but for what you get, leather and construction wise, it's a great deal for sure!

I was not able to be there for the beginning process of the patina which involves the application of the dyes to the shoe, but you can see that once it's on, they use this special brush machine to add the burnishing (dark areas) to the shoe. You will notice that in the top right picture (in this set of 6 above) has a before (left) and after (right), from the use of the machine and the special waxes that they use. And while you may think that a patina must be done by hand, surely it does not as you can see. The wax used on the brush burns onto the leather from it's friction, thus making it stick into the pores of the leather, remaining there as if it was the dye itself.

From this point on, as you will see above, they will add the shine to the shoe, in order to enhance the patina. I learned something new by going there, as they told me that using whiskey is actually better for the shine, due to the fact that the alcohol content will keep the liquid from becoming too humid (as water apparently seems to), which in turn makes it so the leather will dry quicker and absorb the polish better. I better go get a bottle of whiskey to keep at my shine stand!





































As you can clearly see, there were many beautiful shoes there, and I was literally like at kid in a candy shop, wanting to have everything there. I also really liked the simplicity of the store, not having any real fluff going on, just the shoes, some seats and the accessories. It was just how a shop should be: clean, simple and straight to the point. Now that I think about it, the only form of fluff, was actually something that corresponded to the shop and it's products and that was a bespoke shoe model, as well as some lasts, that were dated back to the early 1900's, and the model (shown below) had never had it's last taken out. This model, may I say, was absolutely exquisite! It was literally perfect, without any blemishes and the straightest lines I have ever seen.

But the real treat was this prototype that they had, which was the 'Miro' loafer with a forest green patina, pictured below. The only problem is that my camera could simply not capture the color in the way that my eyes were seeing it, due to my flash (or maybe because it only cost 90 GBP, which might be considered on the cheap quality side!). I must say that it was one of the nicest patinas that I have ever seen as it was simple yet extremely bold in coloring. Not that it was bright or ostentatious, but the green was magnificent and there was no mistaking what it was. It was lovely, and I will aspire to have it.....

Well, I hope that you have enjoyed the post. Going to Septieme Largeur and meeting the lovely people there was a pleasure and I will definitely recommend that if you are ever in Paris, and have some spare time, make a point of dropping by, as I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed, and may even leave a few euros lighter. Stay tuned for my future posts on Corthay and Paulus Bolten, the patina artist, who made a fine makeover of my shoes!

Shoes -- Part 2: Style Names & Terminology -- Oxfords

To get back to a little bit of education, I have decided to write my 'Monday long posts', on everything and anything referring to shoes, that being, the 'technical stuff' and giving a break to the aesthetic fluff that I usually put up. I first started with the different shoe constructions and am now moving on to the different style names and terminologies. As there is much to write, I will start with oxfords and proceed next week onto the following style: derby's (AKA bluchers). Enjoy!

Oxfords:

-- Wholecuts --

My favorite style of shoe is, hands down, the oxford. For me, it is the most elegant style out of everything a shoe/boot can become. This is because it allows, with it's closed lacing, the shoe to be very clean looking i.e. stitch free. The more stitch-free the shoe can become, the more elegant it gets, at least in my opinion. Oxfords can also be referred to as 'balmorals,' and this is due to the fact that oxfords were first seen in Ireland and Scotland, and thus takes after the name of the Queen of England's castle, which is also called Balmoral. But what you will always be able to use, in order to denote an oxford, is the fact that the tongue will always be stitched under the vamp.

As I was stating before, the most elegant (dressy) of all of the oxfords, is the wholecut (as shown above), due to the fact that it has no stitching across the main sections of the shoe (only the back seam). The beautiful version above is by French brand, Septieme Largeur.

Refer to these images above, for the names of the different pieces from the shoe's upper. Click on image to enlarge.

-- Plain Toe's --

While these shoe styles above are not technically called this, it is a good way to know what's on the next level of the hierarchy of dressiness. I have always felt that the less fluff that you see around the toe area, the dressier the shoe. This is partly because when wearing dress trousers, you tend to see mostly the toe area, and not the rest of the shoe. Therefore, the less stitching, the more elegant the model. As you will notice, however, on the top shoe, there is what is called a medallion, on the toe box. A medallion is brogueing (hole punching) in the shape of some symmetrical (unless bespoke) decoration that is positioned on the front of the toe box. This will be a matter of opinion, when deciding whether or not a medallion makes the shoe less dressy. I think that it does. That's not to say that it is not nice, but when considering what to wear to a formal event, less is always more. (The two beautiful models above by Anthony Delos)

 -- Cap Toe's --

A cap toe, or a straight cap, is denoted by the stitching that crosses over the toe box area. A cap toe is a very general term, much like wingtip, and can refer to any shoe that has a straight cap, such as this. And while this shoe shows all of the pieces of the upper, in a simple manner, I shall explain those as well, just in case the sketched pictures provided above, were a little confusing. The piece in between the cap and the laces, where your foot flexes, is called the 'vamp.' The little piece where the laces are, is called the 'facing.' The part where the heel is, is called the 'heel counter.' And last but not least, the leftover bit is called the 'quarter.'

You will find that the cap toe is probably the most popular model in dress shoe history. Since there have been suits, there have been cap toes, and it seems that they tend to go hand-in-hand, as most business professionals wear them. For many industries, this has become the staple model of dress shoe, which to me is unfortunate, as there are so many better models.

Model Above By: Anthony Delos

 

 -- Wingtips --

Wingtips, or wing caps, are just like cap toes, only they have this W shaped cap, as opposed to a straight line. Because of that shape, they are generally seen as less dressy, as this shape is "more daring," and less business-like. This is by no means my opinion, but rather what seams to be the elementary school of thought considered by many white collar industries, and their superiors. I can understand that it might be less formal, but in no way, does that make me feel that it is any less appropriate for business attire. But then again, things are changing and you will find that more people (thankfully) are wearing this style to work, with their business suits!

Shoes Above By: Gaziano & Girling

-- U-Caps --

Far less common, are the U-caps. This style, I believe, used to be used a lot more many years ago, by the likes of Edward Green and older shoe firms but has since been popular until recently. While it is still uncommon to see them, I feel that they will be making a come back in the near future. What's nice about them is that they add a breath of fresh air, to your closet, as they will stand out from all of the other common styles, that everyone owns. While I still do not have a pair, I am definitely going to be adding that to my 'must-have' list, and would not mind if they came from Laszlo Vass, as I love the one's that he did, pictured above.

-- Saddle Shoes --

If you have read my blog before, than you know a thing or two about saddle shoes, and how they are my absolute favorite style ever!! And as I have written a ton of info about them before, including here, I won't bore you with more mumbo jumbo. I will just say, that they never disappoint, and it is good to see them back on the books for many companies upcoming seasons.

Shoes Above By: Septieme Largeur

-- Galosh Shoe --

While this could be up for debate, I have heard this model called 'galosh style' before, as it looks as if there is a galosh covering the toe to heel area, leaving the facing and top of the quarter exposed. Yet, some people also refer to it simply as a balmoral. Whatever the case, it is proper style, one that I find quite appealing and elegant. I only wish that you would see it more, not only in stores, but also on people's feet!

Top Shoes: Craig Corvin
Bottom Left: Laszlo Vass; Bottom Right: Gaziano & Girling

Well, as it is late and I am super tired and therefore I am going to leave it at that for today. While there are so many more to go and you might have thought that I left some out, be patient and you will more than likely see them on another post, when I get to brogues, spectators, derby's, boots etc.

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"