When you think of handcrafted men’s footwear, you’d be forgiven for immediately thinking of bespectacled cobbler in a gingham shirt crouched over a table in Florence, sipping an espresso and inhaling the greater part of a packet of cigarettes as he toils over a pair of brogue derbies. How the cigarette smell leaves the shoes remains a mystery, however, the labour of love always remains.
Now there’s a new player in the market with an interesting and competitively-priced product that might shake things up a bit. Shem Paronelli originates from Lagos, Nigeria and is the brainchild of Creative Director and head craftsman, Shem Ezemma. Working with vintage and embossed patent leathers, patterned nubuck and fine suede in rich colours of tan, black and chocolate brown, the collection is a fusion of both tradition and modern design.
Using Italian or Spanish tanned leather, prices range from US$175 – $220 a pair; slightly more for exotic leathers. Currently, their website, shemparonelli.com is under construction, yet the brand takes orders via email and will ship globablly. It’s nice to know something decent is coming out of Nigeria other than spam scams.
Published on 31 January 2012 by Agony Uncle