The Making of the Blue Patina Monkstrap
Colour rubbed into crocodile, layer by layer, until the scales hold light like deep water.
A patina is not paint. It is colour worked into the leather by hand, one thin layer at a time, so the grain of the skin shows through and every scale takes the dye a little differently.
Starting pale
The monkstrap is made in a light, undyed crocodile. Once it is lasted and welted, the finisher begins with a soft cloth and a dilute blue, building the tone slowly across the vamp and the strap.
Depth at the edges
Darker layers go where a shoe naturally shadows: the toe, the heel and the edges of each scale. That is what gives a patina its depth, and why no two pairs are ever identical.
Sealing the colour
When the colour is right, the shoe is polished and buffed so the finish is protected and the scales catch the light. The result is a pair that looks as if it has been worn and cared for over years, from the very first day.
Every Chicore pair can be made in a patina of your choice. Start your pair.
