New European Shoes to Covet: Magnanni (and Available Here in Shorewood)

When most men think of well-made, beautiful European shoes, they picture Italy. Yes, the Italians do make some amazing shoes, and we don’t disagree with popular thought here. However, if you travel just a little bit west, to Spain, you will discover the exquisite Magnanni, a Spanish line of equally handsome, handcrafted men’s shoes that are sure to broaden your view of designer European footwear. 

Magnanni’s founder, Sebastián Blanco Aldomar, started working in Spanish shoe factories at the age of 12, and in 1954, at the age of 44, decided to open his own company. He converted the first floor of his home in Almansa, Spain, into a five-person shoe factory and employed shoe-making techniques that required a high level of craftsmanship and knowledge. Today, the company is in a larger factory (but still in Almansa) but they continue to use these classic techniques, many of which have been abandoned by the industry.

Aesthetic

Some Magnanni styles are burnished, which gives the shoe an antique quality, and the shapes are slim and flattering, which means, as British style blogger Winston Chesterfield writes for MensFlair.com, “they seem to have used a last from the era of Cary Grant.”

Construction

Magnanni is famous for using the Bologna construction method, which as Chesterfield explains, “is a ‘tubular construction’ since the leather forming the upper goes all the way around the shoe, then sewn into a ‘tube.’ The upper part of this leather is lined with normal lining leather and the lower part of this leather, where the foot rests in the shoe, is lined with a soft leather insole which is less stiff and substantial than the kind of insole that you would find in Goodyear welted shoe. This soft insole gives Bologna Constructed shoes their famous flexibility, and as a result they are extraordinarily comfortable.”

As Magnanni says, “it truly creates a glove for your foot.” 

Materials

Magnanni only uses leathers from France, Italy and Spain. Leathers are finished with exclusive dyes and using manual procedures such as the “polishing rag” technique. The leather is dyed one piece at a time.

Come into Harleys today and sample our wide selection of Magnanni shoes.

Find us here.

As always, we look forward to seeing you.