Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati side-zip ankle boots in dark brown kangaroo skin with single leather soles (16821, 683 last).

Evening

Gravati cap-toe bals with leather lacing simulating punching along the edge of the toe cap and around the laces in tobacco suede with single leather soles (16492, 655 last).

Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati side-zip plain-toe ankle boots in dark brown kangaroo with single leather soles (16821, 683 last).

Evening

Gravati high-vamp penny loafers with twin-needle-stitched apron seam in medium red-brown grained calfskin (Tibet #39) with single leather soles (15477, 701 last).

Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati plain-toe side-zip ankle boots in dark brown kangaroo with single leather soles (16821, 683 last). One of the things that makes Gravati the best value of the mid-level Italian makers is their attention to detail that most of their competition misses. Moreschi, another mid-level Italian maker, also has a side-zip ankle boot. In their side-zip ankle boot, the back side of the zipper rubs against the ankle and lower calf. That's not very comfortable, and it's hell on socks. Gravati solves this problem by having a narrow strip of leather covering the underside of the leather. It's a very small design feature that probably added virtually nothing to the cost of materials or the time it took to make the boots. But it makes a world of difference to how useful and wearable the boots are.

Evening

Gravati plain-toe saddle bals in medium brown (Nicotina) peccary with combination leather/rubber soles (15578, 640 last).

Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati three-eyelet wholecut bal in burgundy grained calfskin (Lama) with single leather soles (14391, 683 last).

Evening

Gravati cap-toe bals in navy blue grained calfskin (Lama) with double leather soles (15537, 640 last).

Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati punch-cap balmoral high-lace boots in dark brown calf with single leather soles (10278, 683 last).

Evening

Alden wingtip bals in dark brown suede with single leather soles (model 904, Hampton last).

Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati side-zip plain-toe ankle boots in dark brown kangaroo with single leather soles (16821, 683 last). People tend to think that kangaroos are cuddly cartoon-like animals. They're not. They can be downright nasty, as is suggested by the fact that it can be hard to find kangaroo hides that are free from scars and imperfections, even skins used by top-quality makers.

Evening

Gravati split-toe ghillie-tie bluchers in tan suede with combination leather/rubber soles (13555, 500 last).

Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati side-zip ankle boots in dark brown kangaroo (16821, 683 last). I needed something to wear with my new dark brown pigskin belt.

Evening

Gravati chelsea boots in tobacco suede (16366, 655 last).

Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati side-zip ankle boots in dark brown kangaroo (16821, 683 last).

Evening

TO Stanley cowboy boots with dark brown kangaroo vamps and shafts and a walking heel. These boots were a special order; and to remind me of that fact, they have my initials in tan calf on the shafts. They appear to be well-made, but I don't like the foam rubber pads that Stanley puts in the heels of the boots.

Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati side-zip plain-toe Bologna-constructed ankle boots in dark brown kangaroo (16821, last 683). Kangaroo is an interesting leather. It is significantly thinner than calfskin, but it has more tensile strength. It also shines up beautifully. Kangaroos are apparently nasty buggers, so getting unmarked hides or usable sections of hides is very difficult. Gravati managed to get some good-quality ones, though.

Evening

Gravati whole-cut plain-toe bluchers in British tan with a rubber lug sole (16368, last 640). Rubber soles seem appropriate given the crappy weather. Gravati uses nice reversed seams for the facings on these shoes, which is unusual.