Made-to-Measure for Men
The art of made-to-measure men's shoes
Berluti
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of participating in a behind-the-scenes tour of Berluti, the Paris creator of luxury fashion and made-to-measure shoe art for men. Yes shoe art! - because these shoes are exactly that, art for feet.
During the guided tour of Berluti's atelier located in the golden triangle of Paris' 8th arrondissement, we were ushered through a door into a residential building, up through several flights of stairs to the door of the atelier. The view from the vestibule of the atelier were a row of shelves of neatly arranged wooden shoe lasts with various inscriptions and numbers. Our guide welcomed us to maison Berluti and then took us into a room filled with leathers in various colors and textures, we saw Berluti's signature Venezia made from calfskin and an array of exotic leathers from different animal such as ostrich feet leather. Berluti's attention to detail is impeccable, starting from the quality of its material selections, to the mastery and artistry it applies in the creation of made-to-measure shoes.
Made-to-measure shoes by Berluti
Made-to-measure shoes at Berluti undergo 250 different processes, it begins with a consultation with the master shoemaker to determine the desired shoes, and ends with the delivery of the shoe to the client.
Consultation - Measurement & Shoe Details
Shoe conception begins with a private consultation with a master shoemaker, who fastidiously gathers various measurements of the client's feet as they sit and stand. Following the measurements, the shoemaker works with the client to determine the style, material, soles, and other details of the shoe. If the client is not sure about what they want, the shoemaker has on hand a visual database of Berluti creations to help the client with ideas.
The client is presented with material choices ranging from Berluti's signature Venezia to exotic leathers. And finally shoe styles -- Oxfords, Boots, Monk Strap, Loafers etc. or non-standard styles; details such as the toe shape, toe styles, soles, are all selected at this stage. The shoemaker provides their expert guidance to ensure clients are satisfied with their design. To finalize the consultation the client signs off on the shoe design concept and approves it for creation.
The Form - Wooden Shoe Last
To aid the shoe creation process the shoemaker creates a wooden model in the form of the client's feet called wooden shoe lasts; it is based on the client's feet measurements. These forms are created for one shoe style and one client, hence for every unique shoe style, new wooden shoe lasts must be created if they don't already exist within the client's file. The hand-made wooden shoe last ensures that the shoemaker creates perfectly fitting shoes.
Wooden shoe lasts, models of clients' feet.
Design & Pattern Cutting
The design and pattern cutting requires fasten cut pieces of sticky canvas on the wooden shoe lasts, and sketching the design of the shoe on the canvas. The canvas is then cut at specific points and removed from shoe lasts; it is a blueprint of the pattern of the shoe design. The canvas is the basis of iterative patterns cutout on cardboard to perfect the pattern of the upper shoe design. The perfected carton pattern is then used as a stencil for the leather which is cut by hand.
Prototype Shoe Fitting
At a second appointment with the shoemaker, the client is fitted with a tan leather prototype of client shoes to test the fit and form on the client's feet. The shoemaker makes notes of all adjustments required to achieve a perfect fit. Any issues observed by the shoemaker with the prototype shoes are corrected on the wooden shoe lasts and transferred into the assembly of the made-to-measure shoes.
Made-To-Measure Shoe Assembly
A shoemaker working on the assembly of a made-to-measure shoe
Shoe sections are assembled by hand on the client's wooden shoe lasts, and are created by a team of 12 artisans who require 50 hours to create a pair shoes, and 150 hours to create pair boots.
Patina
After assembly, a colorist applies patina to the shoes based on the color selected by the client. Patina process is carried out fastidiously by hand and gives the shoe a mirror shine. One distinctive trait of Berluti shoes is their multi-tone gradient color.
Colorist applies patina to a client's shoes.
Packaging & Delivery
Video credit: ©Berluti
Berluti luxury is evident even in the packaging of their shoes. Wooden boxes are specially designed for made-to-measure shoes, within the box each shoe is placed in a shoe bag. The shoe bags are tagged with leather Berluti tags in the exact color as the client's shoes. The photograph of the shoes are affixed to the front of the box, so a client with several made-to-measure Berluti shoes, can easily keep track of each box and its content. Berluti's video is a testament to their packaging.
Down to Business
Berluti made-to-order shoes start from about 5800€ (includes 1ooo€ for the wooden shoe lasts) for the classic men's styles in Berluti's signature Venezia leather, and up to over 15,000€ for shoes made with exotic leathers and in non-standard styles. Made-to-measure shoes take anywhere from six to nine months to acquire. Made-to-wear dress shoes start from 1,600€, and are available for purchase at any Berluti boutique.
Display of an array of Berluti's luxury men's shoes.
Berluti - Aftermarket
Patina bar where clients can decide on a different color for their acquired made-to-measure shoes.
Acquisition of a Berluti made-to-measure shoes, entitles clients to a first patina card which provides them with the first patina on the house. This first patina is recommended after shoes have been worn fifteen times, and prior to leather treatment with balms and creams. For the first patina, clients can change their patina to a color different from the original patina. The Patina bar has an array of leather swatches that serve as color guides. Berluti also provides shoe repair and sole replacement to clients, this service is available at their boutiques worldwide.
Men's ready-to-wear and more...
In 2011, Berluti launched its ready-to-wear men's clothing line, and while the clothing line is young in comparison to its competitors, the quality of the offerings are exceptional, and include high quality fabrics such as cashmere, silk, wool, cotton, linen, blends, and synthetic fibers. Berluti also offers luggage, bags, belts, Berluti's made-to-measure suit by Arnys, and so much more at their boutiques in Paris.
Berluti's ready-to-wear collection for men at Berluti Paris.
Berluti is for men with great style, for a man who is willing to get what he wants tailored exactly to his tastes. It is one of the luxury brands for men that Parisian Experience by Omnyview proposes to our clients as a part of our personal shopping experience.
