Bonora shoes

[horton]

I'm interested in people's thoughts on these shoes in terms of quality and styling.

Thanks

 

[Germanius]

Dear Horton,

i just signed up to answer your request. Years ago i bought a very lightly used pair of loafers on ebay at 40$ that are kind of piece of art. The seller had bought them on a sale at 500$ at a haberdasher in Hannover/Germany. They go for around 700 - 800 $ on italian online stores.

Just did a google thing and there might be indonesian? fakes? out there in blue suede. There is a pair of beige suedes on ebay at the moment.

Bonora has two stores, i guees. 1 in fiorence 1 in rome.

Who is selling them in the US and what are they going for?

regards
Rolf

 

[Thracozaag]

To the best of my knowledge, no stores carry Bonora in nyc. Naturlaut got a pair in Rome that are exquisite:

koji

 

[horton]

I know Louis Boston at least used to carry them; I don't know if they still do.

Yoox has several pairs (or had) on-line, one of which has quite interesting stitching and soles (soles are more antiqued than the uppers).

http://www.yoox.com/item/BONORA+Lace.../areaid/36/st/

The leather is incredible to my un-expert eyes, and I know nothing about the construction.

I like the way they look and feel and am deciding whether to keep or not; if people tell me they'll fall apart etc. I might return them.

 

[jtw3036]

Bonora can be had at Massimo Bizzocchi in NY.

Goodyear $795

Blake Rapid $675

 

[horton]

is there an easy way to tell which is blake and which is goodyear?

and is there a real difference between the two methods for this brand of shoe?

much thanks

 

[von Rothbart]

Originally Posted by jtw3036

Bonora can be had at Massimo Bizzocchi in NY.

Goodyear $795

Blake Rapid $675

I believe they're 30% off now.

 

[jtw3036]

is there an easy way to tell which is blake and which is goodyear?

Naturlaut's wholecuts are Goodyear welt. He posted a picture of the inside of the shoe in this thread.
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread...ghlight=bonora
In the blake version the stitches are visible.

 

[horton]

Thanks for the info.

In the ones I bought from Yoox, the sole is even closer to the upper than those shown above. I don't see stitching but that may be because the sole is so close to the upper that it's too hard to see. Does that suggest goodyear or blake?

 

[Roger]

Originally Posted by horton

Thanks for the info.

In the ones I bought from Yoox, the sole is even closer to the upper than those shown above. I don't see stitching but that may be because the sole is so close to the upper that it's too hard to see. Does that suggest goodyear or blake?
What jtw3036 means, I believe, is that with Blake-stitched shoes, you can see the top of the stitching on the INSIDE--on top of the insole in the forward part of the shoe. If you can see the top of the sole stitching on the outside (on top of the outsole or welt), then they may be welted, or could be Blake/Rapid constructed.

As to your question about whether or not there is a real difference between the methods of construction, there is. Welted shoes are generally more durable, tougher, and easier to have resoled when that is needed. Blake-constructed shoes, on the other hand, are lighter and a little less substantial on the feet--more delicate, I'd say. There's a place for both in my opinion. It's more difficult to make a truly light and delicate welted shoe, and for shoes that I wear mainly in the summer and not terribly frequently, I prefer Blake construction. My Blake-stitched shoes run as low as 10 oz. per shoe, and they're sleek, trim, and very light on the feet. My welted shoes go more like 16-18 oz.

 

[LabelKing]

I believe Wilkes Bashford has Bonora.