The Hand-Welted Cap-Toe Anticato Oxford Shoes - Last 001
This classic, elegantly fitting Oxford in Anticato is finger-stitched by our craftsmen in Modena and features a supple Italian calfskin upper. Our dress shoes are merged with the sole through a process that luxury brands have forgotten (or tried to) called hand-welting, a construction that requires the finest materials and maximises longevity, allowing for up to 12 re-soles.
Handcrafted in Italy
In the XII century the compagnie delle arti or craftsmen's guilds were established in Emilia Romagna, one of which focussed on the creation of fine shoes. Quality and heritage is the basis of Archibald and within days of our arrival in Italy, we met craftsmen working for brands such as Berluti (Ferrara), Santoni, Peron & Peron (Bologna), Testoni (Modena) and Enzo Bonafe. We finally settled on a small family-owned workshop in Modena, Italy where a father and son team make, what are, in our opinion at least, the finest shoes we have come across.
##A uniquely soft yet durable vegetable-tanned Italian calfskin forms the upper which connects to the sole through a rare hand-welted construction.
The combination promises a unique blend of comfort, protection and longevity from the moment you wear them. The softer leather acclimates to your foot almost immediately, yet still maintains its shape - a trait generally reserved for skins used for special-collection or high-end custom-grade shoes.
##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.
• Handmade in Modena, Italy
• Construction: Hand-welted
• Custom grade Italian calfskin
• Calfskin inner lining
• Classic Cap-Toe Oxford
• Lace-up
• Last: 001
• Can be re-soled up to 12 times
• Standard fit: ideal for E (medium-width) and G (wide)
• Get your feet measured and our craftsmen will determine the best fit
• Dust-bag included
• Use horsehair brush to remove any dust
• Polish in small circles with a cotton cloth to restore a soft shine
• Choose between Leather Sole or Dainite Rubber Sole
• Saphir Medaille D'Or shoe horn in real horn included