Handcrafted in Italy

In the 12th century, craftsmen in the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna established guilds known as the compagnie delle arti, one of which specialised in the creation of fine shoes. Within days of our arrival in Italy, we met artisans working for brands such as Berluti (Ferrara), Santoni, Peron & Peron (Bologna), Testoni (Modena) and Enzo Bonafe. After a thorough search, we finally settled on a small family-owned workshop in Modena, where a dedicated father and son team make what are, in our opinion, the finest shoes we have come across. Our sneakers are the ultimate combination of contemporary design and traditional craftsmanship; only the finest calfskin, traditionally reserved for the best men's dress shoes, is used for the upper, which is then finger stitched to springy rubber soles by craftsmen with over two centuries of skill to their name.

Visit the workshop in Mirandola, Italy

##A uniquely soft, yet durable, naturally tanned Italian calfskin forms the upper which is hand-stitched to the rubber sole. The calfskin promises a unique blend of comfort, protection and longevity from the moment you wear them. The softer leather acclimates to your foot almost immediately and provides an unparalleled level of comfort and quality.

Archibald London is the New Age Luxury Brand that Should Be On Everyone’s Radar by B. Oliver (29/02/2018), The Robb Report.

##You may know it as burnishing, but our Italian artisans call it anticato- and we think that has a nicer ring to it. It’s the unique antiquing effect applied over an hour and forty five minutes (and sometimes longer) with polish to the surface of a shoe’s leather upper, giving it a beautifully complex depth of colour. Sometimes the leather is even aged, depending on the colour and shoe. Burnishing requires simple tools, so it’s really the individual artisan’s feel for the process which makes all the difference. Not enough of a polish to shoe ratio and it falls flat- too much and the colour contrast is too stark. You have to find the subtle shine and shadow so it's down to a tee.