Manolo Blahnik. A name synonymous with sleek and elegant shoes that have graced our screens far and wide from Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette or on the feet of Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. Having opened his first shop in 1970 on Old Church Street, Chelsea, he continues to design his collections by hand. The design concept first comes to life with a beautifully illustrated freehand sketch using water colour ink which is then built in Italy.
The Manolo Hangisi satin pump is the epitome of elegance and perhaps the dreamiest choice in white for a bride to be. It’s a sure favourite in our atelier and we often see them in all different colours and patterns proving their popularity. Whether they are in for a special clean, shoe repairs or dyeing a colour darker, they always brighten up the atelier.
This pink pair first came to us last year having been bought second hand and in need of a little spruce in the form of a reheel and a toe piece. Just over a year later after lots of love and dancing, the satin at the tip of the toe had scuffed and torn quite badly and a half resole was needed. A toe piece is generally considered to be a mini resole at the tip of the toe and therefore on the underside of the shoe but in this case, our expert shoe artisans made the assessment that the shoes needed a toe piece on the upper of the shoe in order to conceal the tears.
The first step in the process was to source the perfect shade of pink satin to match the rest of the shoe. Then, the shoe is opened by separating the sole from the upper (the body) from the tip of the toe. This allows our shoe artisan to create the exact pattern of the tip of the toe.
The pattern is then used to cut the silk and an extra piece of material to make the toe stronger and ultimately more durable. The new piece of satin is then hand stitched into place. In this case, most of the seam is hidden by the iconic buckle so it’s hardly visible but in other cases this repair may be more visible, depending on the style of the shoe.
The toe piece is moulded into the perfect shape of the almond toe by hand and secured into place. The sole is then glued back to the toe piece and the shoes are ready to go back to the dance floor.
Do you have satin, grosgrain or shoes with other material that have been so loved there are tears at the top tips? Get in touch with our team today to see what the options are to restore them by using our preliminary quote form. Or if you want to see the process of dyeing some Manolo Blahnik’s follow another Case Study here.
