Your Daily Flex
Louis Vuitton introduces Vendôme Flex, three signature shoe styles for gentlemen on the move
FOR MOST OF HISTORY, shoemaking has been the work of artisans, a combination passion and time-consuming manufacturing by hand. Traditional shoemakers used more than 15 different techniques for making shoes. Among these techniques, some like the English welted (machine-made versions are referred to as “Goodyear welted” after the inventor of the technique) and Blakestitched construction have remained popular in contemporary times.
In the world of handcrafted bespoke shoes, the Goodyear welt rose to prominence and popularity by virtue of its construction: a strip of leather is sewn around the bottom edge of a shoe, attached to both the insole and the upper. This way, the welt can be easily unstitched if need be, letting a cobbler detach the sole without damaging the rest of the shoe, so it can be re-shod time and time again when it has been worn down.
Blake construction, especially popular in Italy (for reasons which will become apparent in a moment) was invented in 1856 by Lyman Reed Blake. The outer sole is stitched directly to the insole with a chain stitch that allows for more flexibility compared to the sturdier Goodyear construction. Goodyear welting builds upon several layers to provide an enduring exterior, while the Blake has fewer layers, allowing for flexibility making it a plus for style and comfort.
Master of luxury Louis Vuitton has now developed a technique that allows the traditional Goodyear construction technique to enjoy the same flexibility as the Blake process. The Vendôme Flex, a classic line including a Derby shoe, loafer and Chelsea boot, sees the vaunted Goodyear-welted seam enhanced with a new flex technique, the result of an extensive reworking of the traditional sole, lining and upper leather to improve softness of feel. Special technical materials have also been placed within the insole to provide comfort formerly reserved for sneakers.
Combining shoemaking expertise with all of today’s needs for comfort and elegance, each of the three Vendôme Flex styles requires the mastery of expert artisans at the Louis Vuitton shoe workshop in Fiesso d’Artico, Italy.
These iconic and versatile shapes for discerning gentlemen exude a modern and relaxed attitude in a contemporary style. The Derby is made from a single piece of waxed calfskin, while the loafer and Chelsea boot feature accents of Louis Vuitton’s emblematic Monogram canvas across the former’s upper, and along the tab of the latter. Crafted in the finest leathers and sublimed by exceptional craftmanship, the three Vendôme Flex styles indulge in a world of supple elegance, married to the freedom of supreme comfort.