Today's Shoes

Gravati split-toe double monkstraps with twin-needle-stiched apron and toe seams in medium brown tumbled (Rodeo) calfskin with double leathers soles (16617, 671 last). Twin-needle stitching doesn't really require two needles; rather, it requires two boar's bristles (actually, I think in modern times, it requires two nylon approximations of a boar's bristles). The key to doing it well is that it must be shallow. That is, it should be possible to see the outlines of the twine going through the central "molehill." It gives the finished shoe more visual interest, both because of the inherent texture of the molehill and because polishing the molehill leads to more variegation in color. It's easier to obtain this kind of effect with supple leathers, so Rodeo calfskin, which is one of the softest calfskins that I have ever seen, is an excellent candidate for this type of construction.

Today's Shoes

Gravati cap-toe double monkstraps in textured forest green suede (called moon suede) with a fudge welt and rubber lug soles (15847, 671 last). The shade of the suede used on these shoes is somewhat unusual, at least to me. There are a lot of suedes out there that are some version of olive green, and most shoemakers will have at least a couple of these in their swatchbooks. This is the only forest green suede that I have ever seen, though.

Today's Shoes

Day

Gravati high-lace punch-cap bal boots in dark brown calfskin with single leather soles (10278, 683 last). You may have noticed by now that I have a thing for boots. Back in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, boots, ankle and otherwise, were very common for dress wear, I would imagine because the dirty streets of the day and the fact that men still rode horses at least occasionally made them more functional than low-cut shoes. They have fallen out of favor over the last 60 or 70 years, however, and it's easy to see why. They're warmer than shoes (since they cover the ankles and lower legs), they're more expensive than shoes (since they use more leather), and they take longer than shoes to get into and out of. Still, I like the way they look, the ankle support that they provide, and the fact that they're a bit out of the ordinary without calling attention to themselves -- a casual observer would probably not ever notice that I'm wearing boots.

Evening

Gravati double monkstraps with twin-needle stitching on the apron and toe "seams" (even though they're not really functional seams) (16617, 671 last).

Today's Shoes

Gravati split-toe double-monkstraps in medium brown lightly-grained calfskin (Gravati calls it Rodeo) with thick single leather soles (16617, 671 last). The apron and toe seam are done with twin-needle stitching, meaning that they are technically not seams at all. The vamp of the shoe is one piece, and the leather has been pinched together to accommodate the twin-needle stitching. In other words, it's strictly decorative, not structural in any way.

Today's Shoes

Gravati cap-toe double monkstraps in forest green suede (Gravati calls it moon suede because of the spots that are all over it) with a storm welt and a rubber lug sole (15847, 671 last). Would you believe me if I told you that these were actually fairly conservative shoes? No? Well, you should. In any event, one of the features of these shoes is the treatment that Gravati has given the seams. Instead of just having raw edges of suede, they have added a thin strip of piping in a forest green calf at every seam. It's very subtle, but it's an example of why Gravati is such an excellent shoemaker.

Today's Shoes

Gravati double monkstraps with a twin-needle stitched apron and toe seam in medium brown lightly-grained soft calfskin (16617, 671 last). These shoes are special orders, and in ordering them, I was specifically looking for a split-toe double monkstrap as a counterpoint to my Edward Green Fulhams. It was a bit of a challenge for me to find the model, but with the help of Jim Pierce, owner of the shoe concession at Harold's in the Heights, and Barbara, the US rep for Gravati whose last name I can't remember, we tracked it down. That was probably 15 months ago. Fast forward to today. Barbara is in town today and tomorrow for a trunk show and to work out Jim's spring order with him. She didn't remember my shoes. Jim did, but barely. Jim was looking for a fresh monkstrap model. He liked the look of my shoes, so he had me take one off so that he could get the model number. He's considering doing it in Radica 03 on 697 last with machine stitching on the apron and toe instead of twin-needle stitching, for a cleaner look. If he does, I'll buy a pair. It'll be a good-looking shoe.

Oh, and I ordered a pair of five-eyelet blucher boots, unlined, in snuff waterproof suede with a microcellular rubber sole on 697 last. Sort of like desert boots, only better.

Today's Shoes

Continuing with the theme from yesterday, Gravati split-toe double monkstrap shoes with twin-needle stitching on the apron and toe seams (which, of course, aren't really seams) in a medium brown super-soft lightly-grained calfskin (16617, 671 last). These shoes are yet another special order, and when they originally came in, they lacked the apron and toe stitching, just about the only time that I can recall the Gravati factory ever making a mistake. Not to worry! Back to the factory they went for the twin-needle stitching, which, remarkably, could be done without the shoe being disassembled. This shoe is a nice companion to my Edward Green double-monk Fulhams, although the Fulham is a chasse while this shoe is a demi-chasse.

Today's Shoes

Gravati cap-toe double monkstraps in forest green moon suede with a storm welt and a rubber lug sole (15847, 671 last). Yes, forest green suede. What Gravati calls moon suede is actually a suede with little dots all over the surface, giving it appearance somewhat similar to what sueded peccary would look like. The model is very similar to the John Lobb Paris William model, which is the canonical double monkstrap, and it wouldn't surprise me if Gravati self-consciously was copying William with this shoe. In fact, I have heard that during the period when Wilkes Bashford in San Francisco could not get John Lobb Paris to let them open an account, they knocked off a number of Lobb models with Gravati. Whether this rumor has any truth to it, I can't say; but I can say that just as in the fashion industry, successful shoe designs don't stay exclusive to one manufacturer very long.