Marcos Hjorn, Wrinkled Slip-on

[Acquire from Marcos Hjorn]

The crease is the design.

Made to order in Barcelona · Vegetable-tanned calf · Hand-gathered vamp

Why it's here

Shoemakers spend their lives trying to keep leather smooth. Marcos Hjorn does the opposite and gathers the front of this loafer into deep folds, stitched in place by hand. The effect is a shoe that looks worn-in and sculpted at once. We admire a maker who takes the thing his trade avoids and turns it into a signature.

The object

The upper is black vegetable-tanned calf from Conceria Maryam, lined in dark brown leather. A smocking stitch, borrowed from dressmaking, pulls the vamp into its pleats. Underneath is a stitched leather sole with a low stacked heel.

Living with it

It works with loose tailoring, heavy denim or wide cotton trousers. Each pair is made to order and takes ten to twelve weeks. The folds soften and settle to your foot, and the sole can be replaced when it wears through.

Origin: Casa Bruta studio, Barcelona, Spain
Upper: Vegetable-tanned calf, Conceria Maryam
Construction: McKay-stitched, leather sole, 2.5 cm heel
Lead time: Made to order, 10 to 12 weeks

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