Though we regularly offer limited runs of leathers here at Crown Northampton, it’s rare we add a new leather to our selection for the long term. We’ve been talking about providing more colour in our collections for a while now but it’s taken us some time to find the right leather for our sneakers and our customers. We’ve finally found that leather in Badalassi Carlo’s Minerva Box Calf and we’re pleased to announce the addition of four new colours to our range, just in time for us to craft some bright new shoes for the summer.
With our aim being to add vibrant, lighter shades to our Hand Stitch Collection, we wanted to be sure we were using the very best materials we could get our hands on. Badalassi Carlo is considered one of the best tanneries in the world with a speciality in lighter coloured vegetable tanned leathers.
Badalassi has been creating vegetable tanned leathers in their Tuscany based tannery for over 40 years. They have a company ethos of focusing on their local area, people and heritage. With tradition, people and place being such an important part of Crown Northampton’s story, we always like to work with materials from companies that share the same values.
Tuscany is a region of Italy renowned for its long history of high quality leather work and tanning. Badalassi Carlo is a member of the Consorzio Vera Pella Italiana, a consortium that regulates, preserves and guarantees world class vegetable tanned leathers from Tuscany. This quality assurance gives us extra peace of mind when using their leathers in our footwear.
“The Genuine Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather Consortium brings together 20 artisan tanneries of the Tuscan Leather District to protect their niche of high quality product, united by the same philosophy and values of production which are closely linked to the territory.”
An Injection of Colour
While we’re very proud of all Crown Northampton has produced so far, there’s always room to grow and improve. We’ve felt for a while that our colour palette needed some expansion and we wanted everyone involved to have their say. Selecting colours was done by committee, we asked our staff and the customers visiting our showroom in the factory to have a look over a swatch book and pick out their favourite tones and shades. We then narrowed it down to the four most selected by men and women alike.
We decided on Coral, Mustard, Olive and Teal; a real rainbow of leathers.
Minerva Box Calf
Badalassi Carlo’s Minerva Box Calf is a tumbled, vegetable tanned leather with a soft feel and natural finish. The grain across the leather varies, meaning each pair of shoes has slight variations and will be completely unique. Using vegetable oils in the tanning process creates leathers that develop a patina over time, so this leather will change colour with wear and age.
The Minerva Box Calf has a strong and structured feel, making it the perfect choice for everyday sneakers. It holds its shape well after lasting, is hard-wearing and resistant to normal wear and tear.
The Hand Stitch CollectionOur new vegetable tanned leather perfectly complements the calf lining and insole shoulder included in every shoe of our Hand Stitch Collection. We’ve created an almost entirely vegetable tanned shoe!
When combined with our J&FJ Baker’s oak bark tanned counter and stiffener, the Hand Stitch Collection is designed to mould to the shape of your foot for added comfort. With Minerva Box Calf’s unusual grain and eventual patina, combined with cork filler, we’re making a pair of sneakers that not only looks unique, but a fit that is specific.
Every Order; Made to OrderWe’re really excited to be bringing you a new, brighter product and we’re excited to hear what you all think and see all this new colour on foot in the summer.
As always, every order is made to order.
Shop the new colours here.
