Unbox Respighi-S with Peccary from Mattina

This article is a show-off and I swear it is not a commercial for the brand Mattina, because you can’t buy this commodity.

I am very happy about this gift because it is so special and exquisite, and it is something I love, it is a wonderful surprise.

Let us check it out.

Unboxing

Regular Mattina shoe box, nothing special.

Information on the side of the shoe box, and the highlights have already appeared.

First written it is to “me”, then below is the model name, Respighi-S.

Ottorino Respighi is an Italian classical music composer who was at his peak around the 30-40s, and the symphony of the Roman Pine is very cheerful.

Last N, the same as my black oxford Elgar. Size 38, also the same as last time.

The leather remarks Cinghiale with Chinese “wild boar” beside.

In fact, when I received this gift and found out that it was shoes, I opened it without reading this information at that time. As soon as I opened it, saw the leather, I immediately put the shoes back in and covered the shoe box. Because my heart beat too fast.

The leather was carried back by ZHAO Ruoda, and he collected wonderful leathers during his study in Italy. That’s why I said it’s a gift between friends rather than a commercial cooperation.

There is also a card inside with a written thanks.

I don’t feel I deserve this “thank you”. As a blogger, I must create value for readers, and I have been saying that Mattina is good from the very beginning, definitely not for Mattina but the readers.

When I saw the shoes of the Mattina brand in the Taobao store of Shoe Silo, I didn’t have a very strong feeling about the last, but the workmanship and specification at the price of 1450 RMB, I really felt that it was a super new force in domestic shoes.

So I posted a recommendation.

Later, I met ZHAO Ruoda, he said, you suddenly publicized so much, caught us off guard, and the brand was still being optimized, and we haven’t thought about marketing yet. I had to delete the article on Zhihu, but the one on my blog is still there.

Then, Mattina products were finalized, brand promotion began, and the price reached 2000 RMB which is one of their most important positioning. Although compared with 1450, it is higher, but at this reasonable price, Mattina is indeed rare in China, and the fundamental reason, in addition to the scale and quality of the factory, ZHAO Ruoda is very important.

Mattina people always tell me, don’t consume ZHAO Ruoda, if the brand has to rely on his name to sell, it will be a failure. I think ZHAO is important for his creation on lasts and models. As a bespoke shoemaker, he put the originality and quality focus into current products which makes the price of 2000 RMB attractive.

The color of this print paper seems to be different from before? The white one looks good.

Gold trumpet on navy velvet shoe bag.

Leather

Because the first thing that amazes people is leather, so put this section at the front.

Wild boar leather shoes, ZHAO Ruoda’s own public account, In addition to shoes, posted a special article about this leather, he has a strong preference for it.

I only have experience of Peccary on Dents’ gloves. The reason is that I am not generally interested in exotic leathers, even grained leather is avoided. In my opinion, textured leather, relatively speaking, is more suitable for casual and outdoor shoes than the refined and elegant Oxford.

The texture of Peccary leather is very iconic. Because it is flatter than the grain skin of ordinary cowhide, it will be less outdoors. At the same time, due to scarcity, it will also give people a more refined feeling psychologically.

Pattern Design

I admit that leather is where this shoe catches people first, however, it is a pair of shoes, it is not a pair of leather.

This split toe derby, my evaluation is Extremity to the opposite. It is that it achieves the ultimate refined elegance with the roughest choice.

Just look at this top view, is my wording accurate?

Let me take you to see what roughness it equips.

First of all, it is Derby, if the purpose of a pair of shoes is sophistication, Oxford is certainly a better choice.

In the big category of derby, I published a video to explain how it can achieve elegance, that is to reduce the number of eyelets, such as Corthay Arca.

But Respighi-S is the most traditional 5-eyelet derby, and I distinguished between two types of derbys in my article Blucher vs Derby, and Respighi is actually the rougher Blucher. That is, the two sides of the laces, which are actually the two pieces of leather that are pasted.

Secondly, the split toe is not an exquisite element. The iconic Dover from Edward Green achieves refinement by weakening the stitches of the split toe.

In terms of split toe, the longer the distance between splitting segments and apron, the stronger the feeling of wildness, represented by Paolo Scafora and Saint Crispin’s. Mattina’s Respighi chose such a long design, making the Arpon area smaller.

These are two deliberately designs to beam wildness.

Let’s look at the little details.

See the stitch that connects the leather to the upper? Normally, a straight line is enough, and the small design point of this pair is an arc. What is this? You can’t see it at first glance. However, in the creation of aesthetics, especially in the field of classic menswear, there are not many opportunities to make a big move, and you can only see the real chapter in the details.

Chain design of split head and Apron area.

Outsole

This model/pattern can be obtain in Mattina Ready to Wear collection, only with collected leather from Zhao. The sole is still standard Mattina, and the fineness at this price is just too amazing.

Craftsmanship

I especially like to see the smoothness of the curvature of the arch of the foot. This speaks to the finish quality of lasting, which is very natural here in Mattina.

The second is the connection between the upper and the heel, including the size of the heel, which is where the craftsmanship determines the beauty. Mattina did a great job.

Summary

Is peccary leather the biggest selling point? In my eyes, no, the degree of completion of this shoe is.