Shoes can make or break a look. You can ace oversized, master head-to-toe monochrome – but if what’s on your feet falls short, it spells ruin for everything else you’re wearing.
No one understands this more than Scott Schuman. Perhaps better known by his moniker The Sartorialist, Schuman is the founder of, and photographer behind, the eponymous site that took the practice of papping well put-together outfits online back in 2005. His is a lens everyone’s clamoring in front of, but it’s not so much the fashion week peacocks he points it at, as the best examples of everyday style instead.
Since launching over a decade ago, The Sartorialist has ballooned from a fledgling blog into an online superbrand, with Schuman regularly tapped by fashion labels eager to share a slice of his trend-spotting cool. There have been collaborations with names from Nespresso to DKNY, Gant to Gap, each drawing on Schuman’s unmatched sixth sense for style.
None, however, have proved as glove-like a fit as Schuman’s latest team-up with Sutor Mantellassi – the 1912-founded luxury Italian shoemaker that took Pitti Uomo by storm when it announced its relaunch in 2015.
A self-professed Italophile (“Italy is my number one inspiration,” he said in a Vogue interview last September), Schuman first partnered with the label last year, designing the MM3 – a dress shoe inspired by Italian actor Marcello Mastroanni to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his star being added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A pebble-grain calf leather Derby in a rich shade of brown, the MM3 comes fitted with a barely-there lug sole, giving all the comfort of function-first footwear, without skimping on style.
Today, the pair unveil an all-new line of premium leather trainers. Bringing his eye for fine footwear to the label’s century’s worth of craftsmanship once again, Schuman shows that a clean, superbly made pair of kicks can look just as smart as your brogues.
A single design available in a selection of colourways spanning subtle and striking, the collection includes four variations featuring premium leather uppers, contrast suede panels and white laces and outsoles. And while most of the colours might steer too punchy for a suit, they’ll certainly lend a slick touch to your smart-casual line-up.
Scott Schuman Interview
We caught up with Scott to learn more about the collaboration, the styles every man needs in his footwear rotation, and the secret to Sartorialist-worthy style:
FashionBeans: Can you tell us a bit about how the collaboration came about? Scott Schuman: “I was a Sutor Mantellassi customer already, so I was already familiar with the brand’s exceptional style and quality. When they contacted me about designing the MM3, I was immediately on board. I already had a shoe in mind that I wanted for myself, but it also seemed to fit perfectly with the concept of the Mastroianni collection.
“After the success of the first collaboration, we decided to extend the partnership for a year and design two more capsule collections featuring several dress shoe styles and one sneaker in various colorways.”
You’ve collaborated with numerous brands – from Kiehl’s to Roy Rogers – in the past. What made Sutor Mantellassi so appealing? “I’ve been wearing Sutor Mantellassi shoes for years, so it was a natural collaboration. I love Italy and I love the Italian heritage of the Sutor Mantellassi brand.”
How many pairs of footwear does a man need to cover his bases, and what should they be? “Personally, I wear my brown pebble-grain leather, lug sole Sutor Mantellassi Derby shoes most days (whether I’m out shooting, shopping, or wandering around the city).
“A leather sneaker is also great and very versatile, especially as an everyday shoe, as it walks that line between sporty and refined.”
