There’s something about a guy who wears a pair of loafers, well. Its preppy, classic and masculine aesthetic sits perfectly with a well-groomed suit, casual chinos or even shorts. But like anything in life there are loafers, and then there are loafers… The Gucci loafer with its signature horsebit detail perfectly completing its iconic status is one of the world’s most famous shoes, and when we came across this exemplary post on the blog “A Continuous Lean” (www.acontinuouslean.com) about the making of the Gucci loafer we realised exactly why it has the world at its feet.  

 

This is why the post had us dreaming of leather and Italy…

 

“If teleported into the building without any knowledge of the craft that held within those walls, one could reasonably think workers were turning out semiconductors or some other ultra-modern device. The neatly-organized space is bright and clean with machinery clustered sporadically along a looping line. It is the perfect marriage of technology and traditional craft with a seasoned group of shoemakers, sewers and cutters all under one roof. The nexus of old and new world is best exemplified in the attire of the tradespeople themselves; each worker wears a white lab coat with a beautifully tanned leather apron in a charming way that only Italians can pull off. The craftsmen attach the leather loafers to the last by hand with a nail and hammer while sitting on a little wooden stool at a well worn and purpose built work bench. Even the tools have their own Gucci embossed leather kit to keep all necessary instruments organized and at hand. Looking around, I had a vision of what it would have been like for an Italian 1950s me driving my Cinquecento to the factory, grabbing my apron and going to work as a skilled (and humble) craftsman. If Daniel Day Lewis can do it, why not me?”

 

 

 

 

 

Read the full post here and experience the making of the Gucci loafer: http://bit.ly/lQVjAm

All visuals are from A Continuous Lean. www.acontinuouslean.com