check out these Ltd edition Berluti's wholecuts

[NorCal_1]

Olga went to town on these...just look at the detail on those etchings (if you can call them that). One bad etch mistake and the shoe would have been ruined

in the category of shoe art (as opposed to something wearable), they are quite beautiful



history of this shoe:
"A good example is the Alessandro III Scalpel (from the Olga III series) pictured on this page. Intricately etched over both shoes are the contents of documents from the court of King Louis XV. Even his seal has been faithfully replicated. Couple the unique design with its fine stitching and the leather's classic Berluti finish, the Alessandro Scalpel III truly embodies everything Berluti is known for."

The Alessandro III Scalpel

Olga Berluti's 1992 refinement of the classic 3-hole lace-up escarpin shoes that were first designed in 1895 by her grand-uncle Alessandro spawned an entire line of the classic shoe, which she called La Club. Loyal customers and journalists fondly dubbed it "Olga I" in honour of the world's only prominent female bottier.

The Olga III line thus represents the culmination of Olga's devotion to both her work and her customers. Its shape has been honed to suit the trendy vigor of a younger audience, who require an outstanding shoe that compromises nothing in the way of style, functionality, comfort, and durability.

Formed of a single piece of leather stitched invisibly to the sole, the design has hardly changed in over 100 years but has slowly been adapted in minute ways to suit the more dynamic lifestyles of Berluti's 21st Century clientèle.

Critics of the brand point out that Berlutis are not welted in the traditional way. Yet it cannot be denied that Berluti pushes the boundaries of traditional shoemaking with its flair and flamboyance. They're not for everybody, but then again they don't purport to be.

A good example is the Alessandro III Scalpel (from the Olga III series) pictured on this page. Intricately etched over both shoes are the contents of documents from the court of King Louis XV. Even his seal has been faithfully replicated. Couple the unique design with its fine stitching and the leather's classic Berluti finish, the Alessandro Scalpel III truly embodies everything Berluti is known for.

article here

 

[edmorel]

If she took all that writing out, they would be hot.

 

[TomW]

Originally Posted by edmorel

If she took all that writing out, they would be hot.

Amen

 

[sho'nuff]

yes that shoe would be very hot , but from afar it looks like it got really scratched up or something or you didnt really finish polish job and left some streaks on.

the right shoe from afar looks like your foot got caught on the underside of an old metal work desk and you yanked out your foot causing some scrapes from the old shrapnel hanging from the underside

 

[stickonatree]

i think it'd be cooler if they were done on sneakers, not dress shoes.

 

[Merckx]

I think I like the Berlutis with the tiger on the side more.

 

[Connemara]

Fugly.

 

[NorCal_1]

they fall in the category of art, and not wearable shoes, and as art I think they are cool and would love a pair without the writing

they are doing this etching thing with other leather products, too

these are being sold at Barney's in NY

 

[Dragon]

They look better in photos than in person (I like shoes the other way around

)

Actually I think it`s a pretty cool design, but would not want a pair. I don`t know what all that writing says, and I don`t want to be one of those people wearing stuff that says something funny (like the Japanese wearing t-shirts saying something weird in English, or the Americans wearing kanji characters that don`t make sense).

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by NorCal_1

they fall in the category of art, and not wearable shoes, and as art I think they are cool and would love a pair without the writing they are doing this etching thing with other leather products, too these are being sold at Barney's in NY

I actually like the looks of this type of thing. The leather has an attractive finish, and the object has a lot of visual interest. But I'd like it a lot more if the design appeared more deliberate. The random writing, and the way it runs off the edges, looks like Silly Putty has been put to a comic book. Maybe an old map design or an interesting pattern of circles and loops would be more to my taste.

 

[kitonbrioni]

Kind of like a tattoo on an attractive women that somehow diminishes the experience.

 

[acidboy]

What does those writings say anyway?

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by acidicboy

What does those writings say anyway?
You mean what it says about the owner? If so, something along the lines of: "I am a nouveau riche cad with more money than taste" You might as well have it tattooed across you forehead.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by acidicboy

What does those writings say anyway?
I read that Berluti used some sort of document from one of the Bourbon Louis (but which one, I don't recall) as the template. Nevertheless, those things are completely hideous.

 

[carl_paris]

Absolutely fantastic. To be honest, it would probably be my ultimate shoe, or at least close to it.

I have a Berluti keycase with the same etchings that I bought in London. Sadly, that is all my (student) finances allow.