25 . 3 . 2020
When you first enter the world of patina shoes, you are entering into an entirely different level – a whole new and exquisite world. Most likely, you have already heard someone talk about the subject. Or maybe you are reading it for the first time.
Whatever the case may be, patina shoes are indeed a concept you must be aware of. Particularly if you are a shoe enthusiast as we are proud to be. So, if you are interested in knowing more about the exquisite art of the patina shoes, please read along.
We will begin by explaining where the name comes from.
Patina shoes are an exquisite pair of shoes that have received a most wonderful finishing. Not just any kind of finishing, but an antique one – an ancient Italian technique known as “anticatura” or “antique finishing”.
To create the perfect patina shoes an arduous, meticulous, and long process of hand painting the leather is required.
This technique, which allows us to create one-of-a-kind patina shoes for men, can take up to several hours a day for one single pair of handcrafted footwear.
The result, however, is more than worth it. Authentic high-end men’s patina shoes are usually made from white crust calf leather, on which wonderful layers of hand painting are applied.
More common leather can also be used, but they already possess a base color which influences the end-result.
To make patina shoes and achieve the desired result, our experienced craftsmen and women apply multiple layers of essential oils, pigments, and leather dyes. Depending on the end effect that is to be attained, some artists make use of several paints with the purpose of achieving one unique color with one unique kind of variance – what we call the patina effect.
If the process described reminds you of anything in particular, it most probably is that of the renaissance masters who, with an almost unimageable skill, created true works of art.
Pigments are balanced together, mixed together with one another by cloths, brushes, and sponges of every size and shape. Such as an artist needs the blank canvas to receive the product of his imagination, so too does the shoemaker require a different kind of leather.
To be fair, in order for the shoe to hold the multiple layers of paint, quality leather is needed. But not just above-average quality: truly high-end top grain leather is required.
The process begins by cleaning and polishing the newly handcrafted shoe.
It needs to be spotless, so that the first layer of new polish can be applied. Essential oils, also rich in colorful pigments, are then applied and a careful waxing process follows suit. It is only after being dried that art truly begins, the patina shoes come to life and the finish is applied.
Investing in a brand-new pair of handcrafter leather patina shoes can be expensive.
If you are thinking of making a purchase, you must have in mind the initial cost of the calf leather, and the more than two-hundred manual operations needed to construct the shoe to which we must add the thorough process our masters employ when applying the patina finish and polishing.
When purchasing online from Carlos Santos, you are acquiring a carefully treated product, painstakingly handled with respect for its structural integrity.
Our master craftsmen and women understand the importance of each detail and the inheritance weight of the ancient Italian technique of “anticatura”.
