Bontoni is one of our favourite shoemakers in the world as their shoes are the perfect blend between the English and the Italian shoemaking traditions. We believe that we have only improved these shoes with a sizing system unique to Shoes & Shirts.
Bontoni shoes are often made using lasts that have some characteristics of English made shoes, not too long but not too rounded either. The perfect balance of elegance and modesty that we have become used to from shoemakers such as Edward Green or Crockett & Jones. The shape of Bontoni shoes sets them apart from many other contemporary Italian shoemakers who tend to use lasts that are more elongated. The lasts for our Bontoni collection are called Forma 101 which is a beautiful almond shaped last and Forma 108 which is a last that has a slight chiseled toe.
The handcoloring of the leather is a process which is more frequently associated with the Italian shoemaking tradition. Bontoni has become known for the meticulous attention given to this process and the beautiful patinas they create. Bontoni’s method differs in the sense that they start with a completely neutral piece of leather which allows for a more dramatic gradation of colours. Some shoemakers use a similar process but they start with a piece of leather which has a more pronounced brown undertone which would result in a less dramatic patina.
The sizing system that we have developed with Bontoni is unique to Shoes & Shirts and we believe it to be something that makes our Bontoni models even more special. Most shoemakers have half size increments between two sizes; however, we have found that this may be too much of a compromise for some men. Instead, our Bontoni collection increases with 1/3rd centimeter increments – this essentially means per whole size there are three rather than two increments. This allows us to get as close of a fit as possible, which is ofcourse of utmost importance for the comfort of the pair – these sizes allows us to almost emulate a made-to-measure fit.
The lasts in combination with the treatment of the leather makes for a shoe that gets noticed but does not scream for attention. In combination with our unique sizing system, a pair of Bontoni’s will fit as well as they look!