Riccardo Bestetti Bespoke projects.

[Saratorial_Splender]

I love the shiny soles, however I find these shoes so sublime that I am afraid to wear them. Somehow, I feel that I am destroying a piece of art. So, from now on, I will order mine in natural sole to show that detail and hammer works. Also, I will wear them sooner!
Enjoy you shoes.

 

[Saratorial_Splender]

Big spender! Not really. Just have one passion and it is fine shoes!

 

[Saratorial_Splender]



Agree. Especially how he managed to do an elegant waist on a Vibram sole, that's quite spectacular.

The Vibram sole took few weeks to perfect in my size (equivalent to UK 13) It turned out well and I love the combination heel.

 

[Gianni Cerutti]

I love the shiny soles, however I find these shoes so sublime that I am afraid to wear them. Somehow, I feel that I am destroying a piece of art. So, from now on, I will order mine in natural sole to show that detail and hammer works. Also, I will wear them sooner!
Enjoy you shoes.

Thank you for your kind comment. You're right. They are real pieces of art. And they are so beautiful that they need protection and care. You have to treat them with love. And that is why I will only polish the heel and quarries. So I do not mind too much when I use them

Tomorrow I'll show you pictures of my shoes test.

 

[agedashidofu]



Glad you like the buyer's guide! For me the test shoes didn't fit that good really, but after he'd seen pics of me wearing them he changed the last to an almost perfect fit. For my new pair I'm waiting for we've just made some very minor adjustments (this time I met him in person so he'd seem me wear them now).

Always hard to compare quality, but just some generalisations is that G&G is without a doubt the cleanest finished of those three, since they are factory made. SC a bit cleaner than Bestetti, who is a bit rougher. Leather quality i'd say G&G and Bestetti are both superb (though they use different types of leather, G&G is thicker and heavier) I haven't owned any SC but to be honest I haven't been super impressed with their leather from those I've handled and seen friends have. Construction wise, well G&G is Goodyear welted so that's an own category, and here Bestetti is the best I'd say. Completely handmade (not machine stitched soles like SC) and with very good arch support and small lovely construction details, like the "notch" between heel and sole edge etc. But as I say, these are generalisations, and based on not too much experience with these makers.

Thank you so much! This is very very helpful. I just emailed Mr. Bestetti to discuss the details. I will keep posted of the experience on this thread as well.

 

[agedashidofu]



I have been working with Mr. Bestetti for a while now and below is few of the shoes he made for me. Please note the different sole treatments and artistic interpretation of every style. Mr. Bestetti is a true artist and works diligently with clients to execute every detail. His work is second to none and he is among the best working shoemakers in Italy and the world today.

I am soooooo jealous. Those are beautiful!!!

 

[Saratorial_Splender]



I am suddenly reminded that I really should read that book by Beebe, The Big Spenders, already. He chronicled the gilded high life in the States before the big wars and their repercussions.

The thing is, I am not an American, Although I live in & love the US. So this argument does not apply to people like me. Many of the big spender on the Forum are Europeans as well.
Also, as long as I have been alive, there is always a big was that the US is involved in, bigger and longer wars; so the idea of "reprecussions" is independent of spending, moot, and silly!

By the way, I love your intreviews.

 

[Macs]

Yesterday I have been in Vigevano at Bestetti's workshop to discuss the initial details of a Novecento pair of shoes.
It was my first visit and we focused on fit: I tried different shoes made from different lasts to determine which was the ideal starting last to apply the adjustments to in order to reach a perfect fit.
Then we compared different toe shapes and finally a decision was made.
I will probably go for a Maverick model but all the details are still to be decided.
I am very pleased to have finally met him, he described the shoemaking process and we ended up chatting of other matters than shoes, this to say how a friendly and nice person he is.
One thing that I have noticed is that he is detail oriented in a way that my wife described as: "he's as mad as you are". And this definitely gives me confidence!
Next step will be the test shoes, I will wear them for some time around the house )probably a week or so) and then visit him again to determine further adjustments (if any) for the final product.
Can't wait!

 

[Saratorial_Splender]



Yesterday I have been in Vigevano at Bestetti's workshop to discuss the initial details of a Novecento pair of shoes.
It was my first visit and we focused on fit: I tried different shoes made from different lasts to determine which was the ideal starting last to apply the adjustments to in order to reach a perfect fit.
Then we compared different toe shapes and finally a decision was made.
I will probably go for a Maverick model but all the details are still to be decided.
I am very pleased to have finally met him, he described the shoemaking process and we ended up chatting of other matters than shoes, this to say how a friendly and nice person he is.
One thing that I have noticed is that he is detail oriented in a way that my wife described as: "he's as mad as you are". And this definitely gives me confidence!
Next step will be the test shoes, I will wear them for some time around the house )probably a week or so) and then visit him again to determine further adjustments (if any) for the final product.
Can't wait!

WOW. Vigevano is becoming a Mecca for shoe aficionados. Good for Mr. Bestetti. I think he is one of the best shoemakers alive. I wish he chooses somewhat thicker leather.

 

[Macs]



WOW. Vigevano is becoming a Mecca for shoe aficionados. Good for Mr. Bestetti. I think he is one of the best shoemakers alive. I wish he chooses somewhat thicker leather.

Well, Vigevano has always been a traditional location for shoemakers in Italy, it is one of the famous "districts"... Another famous one is Como for silk.
Mr. Bestetti talked me through the differences between traditional english shoes/shoemaking and his way. Apart from last shapes differences due to a slightly different conformation of the foot (he has different lasts to take into account the geographical origin of the customer), leather thickness is one of the differences.
My understanding is that english shoes tend to have thick leather and a relatively thin lining while he prefers to have a slightlty thicker lining and a relativey thinner leather. So my speculation on this is that the stress of maintaing the shoe shape under the forces caused by movement during the day is proportionately split between the leather and the lining, and a relatively thicker lining allows to relief some of the stress from the outside leather reducing the depth of creasing.

 

[meister]



Well, Vigevano has always been a traditional location for shoemakers in Italy, it is one of the famous "districts"... Another famous one is Como for silk.
Mr. Bestetti talked me through the differences between traditional english shoes/shoemaking and his way. Apart from last shapes differences due to a slightly different conformation of the foot (he has different lasts to take into account the geographical origin of the customer), leather thickness is one of the differences.
My understanding is that english shoes tend to have thick leather and a relatively thin lining while he prefers to have a slightlty thicker lining and a relativey thinner leather. So my speculation on this is that the stress of maintaing the shoe shape under the forces caused by movement during the day is proportionately split between the leather and the lining, and a relatively thicker lining allows to relief some of the stress from the outside leather reducing the depth of creasing.

Interesting. I would love a DWFII opinion on this.

 

[DWFII]



Interesting. I would love a DWFII opinion on this.

First, I have heard...and suspect it is true...that Italian leathers tend to be thinner. Thinner than American leathers for sure, and perhaps thinner than what would ordinarily be preferred among English makers. This is partly, at least in the case of American leathers, the breed of cattle and the way they are raised. We raise a lot of animals solely for meat, whereas European cattle tend to be raised for dual purpose--dairy and meat. The raw hides on dairy breeds tend to be thinner to begin with. And I believe the leather coming off dairy cattle also have a finer grain surface although I cannot prove that.

My own preference would be first for the quality of the leather--if I had a choice between a thick calf with a grain surface displaying prominent hair cells and a thin calf that was finer in texture and appearance I'd go for the thinner leather every time--and line with a heavier veg kip.

Between two hides of comparable quality but differing thickness I would always choose the thicker hide...up to a point. It only makes sense--more substance equals greater resistance to cracking and scratching and wear.

Would I line thinner? Maybe marginally so. But not significantly.

 

[agedashidofu]



First, I have heard...and suspect it is true...that Italian leathers tend to be thinner. Thinner than American leathers for sure, and perhaps thinner than what would ordinarily be preferred among English makers. This is partly, at least in the case of American leathers, the breed of cattle and the way they are raised. We raise a lot of animals solely for meat, whereas European cattle tend to be raised for dual purpose--dairy and meat. The raw hides on dairy breeds tend to be thinner to begin with. And I believe the leather coming off dairy cattle also have a finer grain surface although I cannot prove that.

My own preference would be first for the quality of the leather--if I had a choice between a thick calf with a grain surface displaying prominent hair cells and a thin calf that was finer in texture and appearance I'd go for the thinner leather every time--and line with a heavier veg kip.

Between two hides of comparable quality but differing thickness I would always choose the thicker hide...up to a point. It only makes sense--more substance equals greater resistance to cracking and scratching and wear.

Would I line thinner? Maybe marginally so. But not significantly.

From my email correspondence with him, Bestetti only uses French calf. I know GG also uses French calf from my discussion with Tony during one of GG's trunk shows. What Tony mentioned was that the tannery offers a few weight/thickness options.

Although I cannot confirm, I think both of them may source from Tanneries du puy.

Vass also openly mentioned that they source from that Tannery

 

[DWFII]



From my email correspondence with him, Bestetti only uses French calf. I know GG also uses French calf from my discussion with Tony during one of GG's trunk shows. What Tony mentioned was that the tannery offers a few weight/thickness options.

Although I cannot confirm, I think both of them may source from Tanneries du puy.

Vass also openly mentioned that they source from that Tannery

I have tried to email du Puy by using the contact link on the Tannery du Puy webpage but the email comes back as unrouteable.

I guess you need to be there.

 

[j ingevaldsson]

^^^ Bestetti use Du Puy, if I remember correctly (could be D'Annonay, but think their crust is a bit different). G&G switch between tanneries quiet a lot, use French, Italian and Polish calf among others. I think that they lately have been buying more and more from Polish Weinheimer (often called Freudenberg, since they bought the recipe and have staff from the now closed German Freudenberg tannery). The Weinheimer leather is pretty thick. And elsewise I think the generalisation that Engliah makers prefer thicker leather, while French and Italian makers tend to go with thinner, is correct.