Alessandro Gasparini We create slim, lightweight, high-quality loafers. Although it is made with Blake stitch, the material is on par with Edward Green or John Lobb.
This is probably the most important thing to mention first, as the price may seem high compared to Blake Stitch loafers or Belgian products. The leather model costs £545 and the suede £525. The reason for the high price is often the quality of the materials and workmanship rather than the large designer brands.
Interestingly, Gasparini’s background is in brands, having worked as a shoe designer for a variety of brands over the years, including Dunhill. Like some new costumes we’ve covered recently – August Special, museum clothing – He is doing this based on experience, which is why the product feels more complete than a work in progress.
Another thing to set up initially is that you have a pair ( black soft leather on) I have been wearing it frequently for the past three months. The fit is probably the best I’ve seen on these low-vamp loafers. And I felt comfortable right away.
I chose my usual shoe size (9 UK, 43 EU), and apart from a bit of bite in the big toe joint, which always happens, they fit very well. I’ve worn this consistently (cotton suit on top, Whitcomb cotton jacket underneath) during Pitti (see photo here) and it’s done very well.
My thin heels mean heel slippage is common, especially in shoes like the Alden, but here it was minimal. Of course, this will vary from person to person and depending on your foot, but I hope this experience will help you understand what it looks like.
Gasparini worked on designing a men’s and women’s shoe line, but as often happens with these startups, he had trouble finding the shoes he wanted.
“It was partly because of the size of my feet,” he says. “I’m a size 6 and very few people go that low, but I especially loved the 1980s styles – the low necklines of Ralph Lauren.”
The neck line, I learned, is what custom shoemakers also call the top line. The top of the shoe and the side of the foot around the ankle. In Gasparini’s shoes this figure is actually lower, but barely noticeable. A lower vamp (how far the toe of the shoe extends into the foot) is more noticeable.
“It felt refreshing to see more of the top of my foot,” he says. “I didn’t want it to look vintage or worn. I wanted it to be fresh and elegant, from a certain era. So I started making it myself in the factory where I worked, and people started asking me where they could buy it.”
I’ve been wearing a pair of 1980s Ralph Lauren loafers quite a bit since I found them on eBay a few years ago. This is a coincidence. It’s like the one shown in the photo above. Also mentioned in the article about wearing jeans and black shoes..
The style is a bit unusual and a bit more feminine. Although this is subjective, many of the masculine-looking suits of the 80s were worn with slim, low-vamp Italian shoes.
And I found both my old Ralph pieces and these Gasparini pieces to be very easy to wear. In fact, they’re probably more comfortable to wear than Baudoin & Lange’s Belgian loafers and other pieces that have been very popular over the past 15 years or so. It gives a more simple and classic feel.
Gasparini loafers do not include some of the traditional innovations. B&L SaganBut I don’t think it makes it any less comfortable. This is partly due to the quality of the material. The full leather socks and lining are really nice on bare skin too. However, the insole also has a thin layer of padding.
“At first I made shoes in Milan because it was easy and I could always fly from London to Como and stop by and take a look,” says Gasparini. “But it was mainly a place that made women’s shoes, and I felt that it was too perfect and too delicate.
He moved production to a small workshop in Marche, where he made more men’s shoes, and preferred: “The attitude with women’s clothing is to always keep it clean and perfect, but men’s clothing is about the craft of making people look better with age. I love that.”
He retained some elements of his first design. For example, suede loafers have a tumbled upper line, so there are no visible seams. I especially like the details because they are so delicate.
Gasparini used Blake-stitched soles to achieve the slimness he wanted, but he also likes Goodyear welts, and these will likely be the styles of the future. In addition, by sticking to a hidden channel on the sole, the stitching is not noticeable, giving it a more sophisticated feel.
Knowing how much I wear those Ralph products, I bought the soft leather model in black. My EG Piccadilly loafers With that color.
Compared to Edward Green (or other British Goodyear-welted styles), Gasparini loafers are slightly more casual and, like linen trousers, easier to wear in warm weather. But I’d say the difference is really more of a style choice.
These loafers were commonly called Italian loafers. Because many of the products are produced by Italian manufacturers or brands. British and American shoes, on the other hand, were welted and chunky. These days, the distinction is less clear, but it’s still a good way to think about style. It’s a question of which you prefer, and you probably don’t need both. Of course, nothing can stop you.
Alessandro Gasparini shoes are currently only available at: his website; The only wholesaler is in Japan. The shoes fit true to size and Simon wears a size UK 9.
The cotton suit shown at the top is a Luca Museo product and will be reviewed separately. The white cotton jacket is from Whitcomb & Shaftesbury and has been covered in detail in two recent articles. here and here.
