Alessandro Oxford shoes – an icon of the BERLUTI fashion house, not only captivates people with its timeless beauty but is also a charming work of art. With its distinct classicism and pure soul, BERLUTI Alessandro Oxford is a true companion for leather shoe enthusiasts in the search for love and perfect beauty throughout the flow of time.
Alessandro – The shoe that made the name of the BERLUTI fashion house, launched in 1895, named after its founder – Alessandro Berluti. This is the first lace-up shoe that is handcrafted from a single piece of leather, without any visible cuts or seams.
When the carpenter started making shoes
The story of how the Alessandro shoe was born is also the story of the BERLUTI fashion house itself. In 1882, inspired by an old shoemaker in the same village, the brave young man Alessandro Berluti, carrying a strong passion for creating unique leather shoes, gave up his stable career as a carpenter in his hometown of Senigallia - a small port in the Le Marche region, Italy and went to the "fashion capital" Paris, France to seek the opportunity to change his own destiny.
Paris at that time was a capital of fashion and glittering lights. Understanding that, he was determined to leave the harbor village, where everything was easy and within his comfort zone, to come to a country that was very different from his homeland, with the purpose of creating shoes that carried the strong determination burning in the heart of the young man Alessandro Berluti.
Alessandro Berluti - Founder of the BERLUTI brand, started out as a carpenter but with his passion for unique leather shoes and desire to become a pioneer, he has created a reputation in the field of leather shoe making.
With the desire to escape the shadow of the times, Alessandro Berluti applied his knowledge of wood, carving and measuring skills of a carpenter to the process of crafting unique leather shoes. Possessing skillful hands, a keen aesthetic eye, and an avant-garde spirit - reflecting the endless values of creativity, breakthrough and uniqueness, he invented the first Oxford shoe model crafted from a single piece of leather, bearing his own name Alessandro and taking his surname - Berluti for the brand. From there, the great journey of crafting of the BERLUTI house began.
Classic mark in the history of leather shoe making world
To make his mark and become a pioneer of the era, Alessandro Berluti created the first Oxford shoe, handcrafted from a single piece of leather, seamlessly and flawlessly without any cuts or seams. The clean lines of the shoe quickly became famous in the shoemaking world at that time.
Creating a “wholecut” shoe requires a large piece of original leather and precise cuts down to the last detail, requiring a high level of skill and meticulousness on the part of the shoemaker. The leather used must be a perfect, flawless piece, as there will be no cuts or stitches to hide imperfections. The texture of the leather must also be consistent throughout the entire shoe, and finding such rare pieces of leather is not easy.
Patina is created through sophisticated techniques, requiring master craftsmanship and understanding, to give the shoes colors of varying durability and depth, like the patina caused by time and wear.
In addition, to assemble a single piece of leather onto a wooden mold that has been shaped according to the foot requires the craftsman to be highly focused, skillfully combining the strength of the hands so that the piece of leather is stretched without losing its original structure. According to shoemakers, the “wholecut” oxford is one of the most difficult shoe styles to make.
At the time of 1895, the design of the Alessandro Oxford was a unique creation, going against the cumbersome and patterned style of the time - a remnant of the Victorian style in the late 19th century. The special thing about the Alessandro is not only a perfect piece of leather but also a reduction of exaggeration in design, all focusing on the natural nature of the material - pure leather and the basic function of a pair of shoes for their owner.
Moreover, with Italian blood running through him, founder Alessandro brought to France through this shoe the art of Italian shoemaking, specifically the Blake sole structure – commonly used by shoemakers in his homeland.
Made entirely by hand, pure leather quality with the traditional Blake sole structure preserved, the new Alessandro designs captivate fashionistas with the purity from the original, interwoven with modern details but still respecting traditional values, inheriting and developing the quintessence of handcrafting with the soul of unique shoes. Clearly shown through the Démesure and Galet lines.
Exclusive creation
In the 80s, Olga Berluti, with her artistic eye and desire to breathe life into men's shoes through color instead of the traditional black and brown, created the art of Patina. With a spirit ahead of her time, and a deep passion for beauty, Olga created the Patina coloring technique, covering the leather with new, brilliant coats, inspired by the image of moonlight reflecting on the skin's pigment at night.
The art of Patina helps Alessandro shoes to be covered with a brilliant, unique and bold coat.
Patina is created through sophisticated techniques, requiring master craftsmanship and understanding, to give the shoes colors of varying durability and depth, like a patina caused by time and wear.
And what Olga needed was the perfect material to make her patina dreams come true. Soon she developed Venezia leather. This is a full-grain, smooth, supple leather, selected from the finest hides and treated using Berluti’s exclusive secret methods.
Being constructed from a single piece of leather is a testament to master craftsmanship, a keen understanding of leather and an appreciation of the artistic value of the creation.
BERLUTI was born, starting with the Alessandro. The illustrious shoe was designed with the bold but profound intention of the artisan – a design that is timeless and everlasting. The construction of a single piece of leather was not only a rare breakthrough in the shoemaking world at that time but also a testament to the master craftsmanship, deep understanding of leather and appreciation of the value of the art of making.
With over 120 years of heritage, BERLUTI is not only a famous leather goods brand, but also represents a unique and iconic artistic style. BERLUTI is now present in Hanoi, Vietnam, a common home for leather goods enthusiasts and shoe enthusiasts, where you can admire the craftsmanship and experience the legendary Alessandro shoe creations.
