Time International

Behind the Scenes at the Berluti Workshops

It is widely acknowledged that bespoke is one of the foundations of Maison Berluti, and bespoke shoes are the quintessence of Berluti. A bespoke shoe is a shoe that is proportioned and styled in accordance with the client’s morphology and personal wishes. Furthermore, a bespoke shoe from Berluti requires some 250 operations and 50 hours of labour.

The crafting of a bespoke shoe is an ongoing conversation. As shapes are traced, measures taken, materials considered and notes jotted, connexions develop between clients and artisans, making every visit to the bespoke atelier feel like a return home.

In creating a pair of bespoke shoes, it’s crucial to understand the client’s needs, his lifestyle and day-to-day… For, when a client comes to Berluti’s atelier with a request, he becomes an artistic director, with artisans giving shape to his ideas and wants. Creativity, like know-how, is limitless.

Dyeing, painting and patinating are the last few steps in the crafting of a bespoke shoe pair. Berluti’s atelier offers a catalogue of 200 colours that can be blended and gradated to make anything possible. The shoemaking spirit lives on here in all its splendour, its extravagance and its idealism.


BERLUTI Berluti Paris