Ellis
A fully handstitched Venetian slip-on in a bold two-material composition: a Cherry Red croco-embossed centre vamp panel enclosed by a Vanta Black hand-woven calfskin perimeter. Cherry-red carmine lined — matched to the croco vamp for a unified red-on-black moment. Cut, lasted, and stitched by hand at our atelier.
The Croco & Weave on the Kuban 302
The Ellis rests on the Kuban 302 last — an elongated Italian formal slip-on last with a low, closed instep and a soft almond toe. The upper is a bold two-material composition. Running down the middle of the vamp from throat to toe is a Cherry Red croco-embossed calfskin centre panel — vivid saturated red-wine, dense clearly defined scales roughly 4-6mm across, hand-burnished to a glowing patina. Enclosing this centre panel — wrapping around both sides of the vamp, the entire quarter, and the heel counter — is hand-woven Vanta Black calfskin, individual strips interlaced in a tight Bottega-style basket weave.
There is no strap, no buckle, no tassel, no lace, no hardware anywhere on the exterior — the shoe's ornament IS the two-material seam itself. Where the croco centre meets the woven perimeter, a fine hand-run cream wax-thread seam curves cleanly around the vamp, joining the two textures. It is the shoe's single design event and the reason a plain Venetian silhouette carries this much drama.
The interior is fully lined in vivid cherry-red carmine calfskin — matched to the croco vamp red, so the interior flash inside and the vamp centre outside form one continuous unified red against the woven black frame. Goodyear-welted onto a hand-burnished walnut-edge leather sole, with cream twisted-thread stitching visible along the entire welt — a deliberate contrast against the dark edge.