• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

The Berluti shoe thread

LabelKing

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
May 24, 2002
Messages
25,421
Reaction score
268
Originally Posted by RJman
Stop derailing this thread, it's about Berluti. Anyway, isn't it a school night for you?

west.gif

I'll derail it into an Orient Express.

James Joyce was a Berluti bespoke client.

abbott_james_joyce.jpg
 

RJman

Posse Member
Dubiously Honored
Spamminator Moderator
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
19,159
Reaction score
2,086
As was Manuel Noriega. And Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who was such an artisan fan he had Berluti make the most expensive shoes in the world -- court shoes with embroidered pearls costing $80,000 -- in 1970s money, I believe.
 

LabelKing

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
May 24, 2002
Messages
25,421
Reaction score
268
Originally Posted by RJman
As was Manuel Noriega. And Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who was such an artisan fan he had Berluti make the most expensive shoes in the world -- court shoes with embroidered pearls costing $80,000 -- in 1970s money, I believe.
The President of France gave that pair of pearl-studded slippers for Bokassa's coronation. Berluti about 5 years ago was still kind of desirable but now they have things like this but patterned with ugly designs:
bb051017_2_175.jpg
Did you see my Yann Debelle de Montby thread?
 

A Harris

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jan 6, 2003
Messages
4,599
Reaction score
78
Re. styling, I don't care for most of their styles, but their double soled wholecuts and the Andy loafer are iconic shoes, absolute classics.
 

Artisan Fan

Suitsupply-sider
Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Messages
32,196
Reaction score
377
This is the case with certain Berluti shoes on certain Japanese websites, and, forgive my writing it, appears to be the case with the Berluti shoes whose pictures Artisan Fan put up.

And Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who was such an artisan fan he had Berluti make the most expensive shoes in the world
RJ,

I'm disappointed you would resort to personal attacks on my shoe and me in general in this thread. I think that's rude of you honestly. You don't need to mention my shoes to make a point. It's obvious that thinner leather shoes wrinkles but so do my Lobbs, EG, and Amesbury bespoke. That's the nature of shoe leather. My Berlutis have held up as well as any shoes I own. I think the Venezia leather is used in part for how it takes the polishing and patina. I would probably not recommend very heavy use for Berlutis but I think of them as special occasion and style shoes so they work fine there.

It's also clear that you have a very strongly negative opinion about Berluti. I don't think your post is fair to the value of Berluti. I think the Chinese manufacturing comments is factually wrong and seems to be frankly a slander (with no evidence I might add) wholly unjustified. I think a gentlemen would present strong evidence for such a strong accusation.

You quote Barneys as saying Berluti is making some of the best handmade shoes. If you had actually seen Olga's bespoke work, you would admit there is a case to be made here.

I think the concern about LVMH is legitimate but Olga is such a perfectionist she may be able to keep quality maintained and designs innovative.

Price in my mind has gotten to be high but there are really no other shoes quite like some Berlutis in style so I am willing to pay for that in some instances. I would argue EG and Lobb may be a better price to quality value versus Berluti.
 

poorsod

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2005
Messages
4,261
Reaction score
970
I just want to say that if I get a nice black shoe in the future, it would be a Berluti wholecut because the patination makes it so much more. The tints of green, purple or blue make it not just "black".

Do Berluti wholecuts crease more than any other wholecut? I remember a member posted picks of his Lattanzi wholecuts and I think they crease just the same.
 

kronik

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
3,905
Reaction score
8
Artisan Fan - honestly, I think RJ was spot on with his description of the creasing in Berlutis. Almost every decently worn pair of Berlutis I've seen have had quite a bit of wrinkling, moreso than shoes of a less supple/soft leather. I'm not sure this was meant to be an insult.
 

Tomasso

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
4,067
Reaction score
19
Originally Posted by kronik
I'm not sure this was meant to be an insult.
It wasn't but AF is very sensitive to criticism, constructive or not.
wink.gif
 

Artisan Fan

Suitsupply-sider
Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Messages
32,196
Reaction score
377
Why do you say that Tomasso? Because I defended Kiton and Berluti when I thought some criticisms were unfair or untrue?
 

Rolo

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2006
Messages
462
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by RJman
Chris:

You don't add an apostrophe to a plural proper noun. It's not a possessive.

I don't mean to single you out -- it's a common mistake, but it drives me nuts.


One of my peeves as well; however, if we're going to be picky is Berluti not already a plural and Berlutis being nothing more than a typical American display of excess. But then, the singular would be Berluto and we might not know what we're talking about. Even worse, is it a pair of Berulti, a pair of Berultis, or a pair of Berluto? I guess there is a reason why I shouldn't post when I'm sleepy.

In any event, my basic thoughts on this thread (and its predecessor) is that while many have praised the design, they have bemoaned the price relative to quality. While the issue of price relative to quality has merits, the fact is that one should also be willing to pay for design. Indeed, I've seen the argument made in reverse with regard to some Vass lasts (to paraphrase, "great quality, but I wouldn't put them on my feet"). The converse should also be true, one should be willing to pay a premium relative to quality because an item simply looks great on you.
 

Artisan Fan

Suitsupply-sider
Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Messages
32,196
Reaction score
377
While the issue of price relative to quality has merits, the fact is that one should also be willing to pay for design.
Good point.

One might also look at the economic argument of price meeting supply and demand. It seems Olga has enough customers willing to pay the higher price. We may not all believe it is good value, but if I were an LVMH shareholder I might want Olga to charge what she can.
 

Tomasso

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
4,067
Reaction score
19
Originally Posted by Artisan Fan
Why do you say that Tomasso? Because I defended Kiton and Berluti when I thought some criticisms were unfair or untrue?

In the course of your strident defence of your makers you seem to have a tendency to attack the messenger. You went after Marc Seitleman in the Kiton thread, Kabbaz in the handmade shirt thread and now RJman in this thread. It's fine to dispute the facts but you don't have to make it personal.
 

kronik

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
3,905
Reaction score
8
Originally Posted by Rolo
But then, the singular would be Berluto and we might not know what we're talking about. Even worse, is it a pair of Berulti, a pair of Berultis, or a pair of Berluto?

Even if Berluti(s) is wrong, I don't think Berulti or Berultis would ever be right.
teacha.gif
 

Soph

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
4,006
Reaction score
13
2823t44.jpg


These are secret photos of Berluti shoes being made:
2823vaw.jpg


*This is a joke
 

Artisan Fan

Suitsupply-sider
Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Messages
32,196
Reaction score
377
In the course of your strident defence of your makers you seem to have a tendency to attack the messenger. You went after Marc Seitleman in the Kiton thread, Kabbaz in the handmade shirt thread and now RJman in this thread. It's fine to dispute the facts but you don't have to make it personal.
Excuse me but it was RJ who made it personal here. I did not attack either Marc or Alex personally and Alex and I in particular had some nice discussions in that thread and in messages and we all learned a lot.

I did not attack RJ as well as my replies clearly show. I did call him on a rude comment and I will continue to do so as I see fit. RJ is making several baseless claims here and he needs to present more evidence to back up his accusations.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.2%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 38.8%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.2%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.1%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,158
Messages
10,578,906
Members
223,883
Latest member
product
Top