Esquivel for Blackbird

Seattle boutique, Blackbird, has teamed up with Los Angeles-based shoemaker George Esquivel to create custom footwear for their store. There is such a huge appreciation for raw materials in the marketplace today and the folks at Blackbird thought that could extend to our feet. They worked with Esquivel to create a boot and hobo shoe made from completely natural, untanned leather. As with all Esquivel’s shoes, they are completely hand made in the USA in a process which takes over one hundred steps to complete followed by another two weeks to allow for each shoe to dry naturally on the last to ensure that they perfectly retain their shape. Due to the easily manipulative nature of the natural leather, each of these steps has become a white glove process from start to finish to lessen the possibility of marks on the shoes previous to purchase. Much like raw denim the shoes will be changed through how they are worn and lived in. Each pair is going to age and darken through wear, exposure to sunlight. Available at Blackbird, $795.