Magnanni Artesano

[demeis]

What are peoples thoughts on these? They kind of remind me of Berluti and i really like them. Just wondering what others have thought of them. Do you think they are to much? Also do you think square toe or rounded toe has more longeviety?

http://www.magnanni.com/

 

[whoopee]

Can't speak to the quality, but I definitely see the Berluti connection especially with their Artesano line. Certainly a cheaper way to get Frankenstein stitched shoes.

Style-wise, an elegant round or square toe should be in style for a long time, until conceptions of menswear change considerably. The toe wears down faster on square toes, though.

 

[Roger]

If the ones I saw on the Magnanni website are the ones you're considering (3 pairs of lace-ups), in my opinion, the waist treatment--with a sort of grotesquely stylized fiddleback waist--kills the shoes. To my eye, this amounts to putting a style feature on a shoe pretty much solely to make it different from previous years' models. I predict that waist treatment (which I've seen on another shoe too, but can't remember what it was) is doomed to an early (and much deserved) death. As for longevity of square vs. rounded toe, in my opinion, the round toe will outlast the square toe by a huge order of magnitude.

 

[demeis]

Sorry i meant square toe v. Pointed toe. Roger what do you mean by waist treatment?

 

[whoopee]

I think he means these. My post referred to these, too.

 

[Roger]

Originally Posted by demeis

Sorry i meant square toe v. Pointed toe. Roger what do you mean by waist treatment?
Demeis, it probably looked like "waste treatment"!

What I meant by that was the way the shoes had the sole--at the waist of the shoe--wrapped up into the uppers, as is clear from the picture that Whoopee posted. The most elegant shoes (such as most bespoke shoes) have the underside at the waist "beveled" in such a way that the sole takes on a "fiddleback" form--or, in simpler English, a very convex form. However, on such shoes, the sole definitely stops where you'd expect it to, and the convexity of the sole at the waist is hardly visible from above. On these Magnannis, they have designed the shoe with what to my eye is a grotesque caricature of a beveled waist. The sole extends up so high into the uppers at the waist (I think that's the sole extension that we see, unless they've added an additional piece of leather at that point, which would be even worse) that it just looks...bad, at least as far as I'm concerned. But that's just my opinion; if you like that design feature, then it's obviously not a problem.

Edit: Let me add something. I'd counsel avoiding too pointed a toe. You don't want people calling you "twinkletoes," and the extreme pointed form of what some call "witches shoes" just looks weird to most North Americans. You'll see more of that in southern Europe, notably Italy. In my opinion, a nicely rounded toe form will probably never go out of style. The other thing about these shoes is that they are most likely Blake stitched, although it's remotely possible the sole is attached solely via glue. Blake-stitched shoes certainly have their place. I have a number of such shoes, and they are light as feathers on the feet. Blake stitching is often seen on some racy shoes, and they often look sleek and elegant and in accordance with the Italian esthetic (which I like). However, most Blake-stitched shoes have thin soles, and you will tend to feel rocks underfoot much more uncomfortably than with welted shoes. My Blake-stitched shoes are sheer delight in good conditions and on smooth surfaces, but not great for long walks, particularly over uneven terrain, or for wearing in wet conditions. In addition, it is much more difficult to resole Blake-stitched shoes. You can see how stylish and elegant this kind of sole allows the shoe to be. I like that, and I love the color of those olive-colored ones, but the beveled-sole treatment just kills the shoes for me. Hope this helps.

 

[zjpj83]

Most unfortunate

 

[demeis]

Whoppee i was referring to the stock US artesano not the 06 ones. As for the shoes they are blake stiched and the sole comes up on the side. It is not a piece of leather. As for the style i'm not really into that classic trad style. I'm young and find it somewhat boring and i feel like if i can get away with something more fashion forward now i'm going to do it. These are shoes that i don't plan to have for 10+ years, something like my grensons, AE's, and the like but something more for the now. They are a light shoe which i like and do have a thin soles. Something i would only wear in the summer.

 

[whoopee]

Those Artesanos also have that waist/sole. Other than that I think the Monaco wholecuts look quite nice, and sure, these days no one will cut you for wearing those shoes but my opinion is that they are not in the best taste, be you twenty or sixty.

 

[Demeter]

Am I the only one that considers overly stylized patinas on a shoe to be just a fad? If done properly, Ã la Berluti or even more so Lattanzi, it can be breathtaking, but I can't help but think that in a few years Kenneth Cole will be coming out with a 'hand-finished patina.' Maybe it's just the old fogey in me, but I think a purple shoe is still a purple shoe. If you can pull it off, that's great, but I'd rather stay away just in case one day my kids will find a cache of photos and will see me with a powder blue tux with purple shoes and a frilly shirt. Roger: got the e-mail. Will consult, and then get back to you. Hope all is going well

 

[demeis]

What about the Rioja's in black in the contemporary section. They don't look as clean from the top but are a little less pointed.