In 1837, the greatest Italian poet of the time Giacomo Leopardi died due to an asthma attack at the age of 38, in a small apartment in Napoli. Legend has it that when his grave was dug up, the only item that helped identify his body was a pair of ankle boots found inside the coffin. They were the same size and style as seen in the poets’ portraits. The buried boots survived, perfectly preserved after 63 years!
And so, inspired by this story, Silvano Lattanzi, a shoe maker known for his unconventional materials and concepts, decided to bury different pairs of shoes in a garden for a period of four years in order for them to achieve the same kind of preservation and the antique feel. And following this procedure of naturally ageing shoes below the earth, the buried shoes have come back to life!
The new process involves the footwear being placed on a carpet of straw for protection and covered with dried flowers and other perfumed herbage. The leather shoes result in tones and shades so unique and remarkable, it is impossible to reproduce.[…]
See on sadecor.co.za
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