The London Lounge

I was in New York this morning on business and, before leaving the city, decided to drop into Silvano Lattanzi's store on Madison. Who should I see there but Silvano Lattanzi himself. Two years ago Mr. Lattanzi made a pair of shoes for me. The shoes fit perfectly and are very comfortable, but after about a year of wearing one of the shoes started making a slight squeaking noise when I walked. I mentioned this to Mr. Lattanzi and, through an interpreter, he explained that the squeaking was not unusual, that in fact it was a hallmark of a hand-made shoe--specifically, he said it was the result of a piece of leather placed just under the sole for support. I have to admit, I have no idea what he is talking about. Does this make sense? Can anyone explain this to me? Tony?

Dear Sir,

I've been wearing some of my hand-sewn shoes for 2 years now and I have yet to hear any squeaks. I would assume sqeaking isn't a desired or acceptable feature on a well-constructed shoe....maybe a resoling will cure the noise?

Cheers,
Miguel

Miguel,

You are probably right. Lattanzi did offer to resole the shoe if I was bothered by the noise, and I believe I will take him up on the offer.

Bill

Hi BP45

yes it does make sense, It occasionally happens with our readymade shoes but has not happened to any bespoke shoes that i have made. It can be caused by more than one thing. For us most of the time it is the cork filler between the sole and the insole, the cork is generally mixed with a paste so that it can be spread easier round the insole, occasionally the paste dry's up and the cork crumbles, the noise you hear is the cork rubbing against itself (almost like polystyrene). A squeck can also be caused by two smooth surfaces of leather moving against each other within the shoe.

Whichever the case the shoemaker should have the shoes back and remake them for you.

Kind regards

Tony

Tony,
Thanks for the explanation.

By the way, I received the Windsor shoe. I haven't had time to break it in, but it looks great (the pictures do not do it justice)!

Bill

I had this exact problem with my Albaladejos. Tony gives a more complex explanation than I have heard, but in any event, the manufacturer has to repair it. But the flip side is that with wear, the squeak can disappear, as happened in my case.

Bill,

Tony is a great shoemaker not a photographer, and my forays into photography are pretty poor as well. I do agree with you that the photos do not do the Windsor model justice. Maybe try and take one and post it on the PJ.

David,

Yes sometimes the squeak will go away with a bit of breaking in.

Dear Bill,

I also have a bespoke Lattanzi that is several years old, but have not had this 'squeaking' problem, nor have I had it on any of my other bespokes or RTW shoes. The worst problem I had was a "clicking" sound every time I took a step in one of my shoes.... apparently, I was told that the shank got loose. It was subsequently repaired.

Regards,
Jan

From the Lattanzi web site:

"The shoe of the Earl"

The noble creaking by Silvano Lattanzi.

The Master Shoemaker presents at "Pitti Uomo" his last, unmistakable creation: "la Scarpa del Signor Conte" (the shoe of the Earl).
The sound is produced by two cambered leather pieces - the shank - put in the shoe, between the foot-strap and the sole, with a technique that has completely disappeared in today industrial production. For the 2005/2006 autumn/winter collection the Master Shoemaker drew his inspiration from the Italian craftmade tradition that dates back to the Renaissance [...]. In those times the unmistakable shoes creaking signalled, in the silence of the aisle, the entry of the nobleman in the church. [...] Silvano Lattanzi is the heir of this ancient wisdom.

Dickens used "creaking" frequently to describe expensive boots (Great Expectations, Oliver Twist etc.). I infer that his 19th century reader knew exactly what he was referring to.

My bespoke Cleverleys all creak very slightly. It is near inaudible if one does not pay attention, but I find the sound rather pleasantly reassuring, it makes the sound of one's step come alive. I have never discussed the subject with a bootmaker, though. Well, the next time I feel sufficiently brave to venture near the Royal Arcade (the financial implications are frightening...) I shall ask for an expert opinion.

Mathew,

Your post led me to visit the Lattanzi web site. Although I love the look and feel of my Lattanzi custom shoes, I must say that Lattanzi's web site is a bit, shall we say, out there? On the same page that discusses "the shoe of the Earl," Lattanzi reveals his new process of burying shoes underground to achieve a natural antiquing effect. Well, I guess it is good that he is willing to experiment.

Bill

Bill, when you asked Mr. Lattanzi about the squeaking I take it he didn't mention anything about it being intentional?

Mathew,

The translation of what Mr. Lattanzi said was the "the squeaking is the hallmark of a hand-made shoe." That's different than saying that it was intentional, but the difference is subtle enough that perhaps there was a translation ambiguity. But only the left-footed shoe squeaked, not the right one, so I doubt it was intentional. Perhaps my complaint gave him inspiration--let's design the shoe to make it squeak!

Bill