Highest-Quality Shoe Report Card (Lattanzi, Bontoni, Lobb Kiton, Berluti)

[MaChemist]

Ok I believe people buy brands but there are also people who know to appreciate real handmade products wich are worth the price (but what is the value of something???)
I visited a trunk show of Bontoni to see their collection. It was very impressive and the atmosphere was great. On this particular event they only showed their bautifull handmade goodyear collection wich was very impressive. You are right that the owners of Bontoni (Franco and Lewis) are no shoemakers but they know a lot about shoes and are very passionate about their brand. But the owners of every big shoe brand I guess are no shoemaker any more but more manager. But if they have well trained shoemakers to make shoes for them there is no problem.
Bontoni however is also a very little company compared to Edward Green, Crockett and Jones, Santoni...
so this brand is also very unknown to most consumers.
What is your opinion about the quality of Bontoni shoes? I saw in the trunk show how they sarted from white leathers and lasting and handsewing and eventualy handcoloring them by Franco's father. So this is a family buisiness with a lot of charm even if they are a relative new player on the field. I guess they knew very well how to place themselves at a very high level from the beginning. They truly make beautifull shoes and I believe they are certainly comparable to Lattanzi, John Lobb, Santoni Limiteds.
I also visited your website Ron and I like also your shoes but they are more the robust looking shoe like the Bettanins (also a wonderfull man).

 

[RIDER]

Yes......I agree 100%.

For sure, if a requirement to sell shoes is that you must be able to make shoes, I would have to find other work. I didn't intend for it to sound so one sided. Jealousy can also factor into this, I suppose. Maybe I just wish that Martegani could have a nice flash site, and advertising, and the margins built into the line to get into larger shops! Seriously....do you know how many fine stores here have liked my line, and then said 'but, they are not expensive enough for us'? To me, this is crazy, but is another reality of the market. Hey, if you can show up from the sky, have the details and initial pricing that attracts the best stores - more power to you, I suppose....you win. The shoes are nice, no doubt. So are Berluti shoes.....I just don't think either are $1000+ nice. I don't think Lobb is $1700 nice. Hell, they use the same calfskin we use (JL = Museum, RM = Radica) and we sell at $500. We use a fantastic outsole leather, a nice perfed leather insole and a full leather midsole. Yeah the look is different, but the quality is not $1000-$1200 different....sorry. Same with Bontoni. Now, if they were available for $500? Then I would be impressed.

Of course, maybe it's just 'sour grapes'!!!



edit - yeah.....I think I am just jealous.....DAMN I want a nice website!

 

[MaChemist]

It is a hard world out there and i understand the frustration of some and indeed Lattanzi is also in my opinion maybe too expensive and you pay also a lot brand name although they are wonderfull shoes. But to make you a little more happy. There was a very small topic about Martegani on our Dutch styleforum, this is the link: http://www.stijlforum.nl/SMF/index.php/topic,145.0.html So there are actually people who known your brand even the advertisment is not big. PS: You can learn yourself to make a nice website or try to contact a university or highshool and let students make you a website for a kind of thesis or practical test. I know this is the case in my university.

 

[silvestrosrl]

Look this picture. I am sorry for the quality of the picture but I think it is one of the best antiquing in the world. What do you think about that?

 

[MaChemist]

It is indeed a nice patina comparable to a lot of hand colored shoes.

 

[silvestrosrl]

Soon I will show you a shoe with Goodyear costruction

 

[NYCJetsetter]

Hey guys,

I saw George Clooney in an interview wearing a beat up pair of what appeared to be Ralph Lauren boat shoes.

So it begged the question Do the shoes make man or does the man make the shoes?

 

[navysuede]

Originally Posted by RIDER

Ahh....Bontoni - well, for this brand it was very interesting from the inside to see how they arrived on the market. I mean, out of nowhere. For us shoe people, especially after Wilkes-Bashford picked up the line, we were like 'who are these people?'. Nobody in Italy (in our little circle of manufacturers in the North) had ever heard of the brand. Suddenly, they show up with a big story, and fancy website with very expensive production.....it was very strange. So, we did some 'digging' and, well, let's just say the marketers have taken over the business....it is what it is. Look, 60% of our production is for other brands, so we know the drill; and it gets frustrating watching other people take our work and succeed with it to a greater degree than we do our own brands, when we know we put more into our own shoes than what they detail/pay for for theirs, but this is the power of advertising and marketing. People can say what they want, but every season the facts are proven over and over again...those that can build a reputation - whether deserved or not - by marketing carry the day. The general public buys brands, not shoes.

+1 for Rider

 

[MaChemist]

It is been a while but Bontoni is coming to Holland soon (for the third time) In the link below you can see a movie and interview of Franco Gazzani during the previous trunk show in Holland. For the movie scroll to the end of the page and click. This is the link: http://www.shoesandshirts.nl/nieuws/newID/23

 

[Tony13]

Thank you for this info i most appreciate it ... and dont be jealous people xo

 

[sugarglider unrelism]

There I was.....seeking an Oracle when suddenly I came upon this scholarly dissertation on Italian shoes by "Englishtea" from 2007.

Anyway > I purchased a killer pair of handmade Italian wholecuts from an Aussie dude through eBay last year and I cannot discern the Italian writing in the inside sole of the shoes > you know, just like Lattanzi signature(s).

Is there anyone out there who would be able to decode them if I sent you a pic?

Shoot me your email address and I'll forward you a pic.

Hoping against hope....and thanks for your reading this,

Mike

 

[jerrybrowne]

Why don't you just upload the image to this thread?

 

[LeJouvre]

There I was.....seeking an Oracle when suddenly I came upon this scholarly dissertation on Italian shoes by "Englishtea" from 2007.
Anyway > I purchased a killer pair of handmade Italian wholecuts from an Aussie dude through eBay last year and I cannot discern the Italian writing in the inside sole of the shoes > you know, just like Lattanzi signature(s).
Is there anyone out there who would be able to decode them if I sent you a pic?
Shoot me your email address and I'll forward you a pic.
Hoping against hope....and thanks for your reading this,
Mike

Why don't you just give us your email address and we can all send you a pic?

 

[LeJouvre]

Originally Posted by RIDER

Ahh....Bontoni - well, for this brand it was very interesting from the inside to see how they arrived on the market. I mean, out of nowhere. For us shoe people, especially after Wilkes-Bashford picked up the line, we were like 'who are these people?'. Nobody in Italy (in our little circle of manufacturers in the North) had ever heard of the brand. Suddenly, they show up with a big story, and fancy website with very expensive production.....it was very strange. So, we did some 'digging' and, well, let's just say the marketers have taken over the business....it is what it is. Look, 60% of our production is for other brands, so we know the drill; and it gets frustrating watching other people take our work and succeed with it to a greater degree than we do our own brands, when we know we put more into our own shoes than what they detail/pay for for theirs, but this is the power of advertising and marketing. People can say what they want, but every season the facts are proven over and over again...those that can build a reputation - whether deserved or not - by marketing carry the day. The general public buys brands, not shoes.

Way to go Rider!!! +10000000000

 

[mancini]

Can someone tell me what the writing on the shoes is all about?Photo of shoes are on # 3