Just when each of us at the Gustin office picked out our favorite sneakers, the Horween Chromexcel Naturals arrived and had us second guessing our choice. You almost have to see this leather to believe it. It's phenomenally beautiful and just plain different than anything else you'll own.
These Gustin high tops are crafted from Horween's Chromexcel Natural leather. CXL Natural is just drop dead gorgeous. The base shade is in the brown family, but it has a unique ashiness to it. Horween's famous pull-up works absolute miracles in this Natural color. The high-and-lows you see immediately create a wonderful variety of color. The character this leather develops over time is really what makes Horween stand out. The leather takes on an incredible patina as the oils in the surface disperse from wear. This leather is also straight up burly. When you pick them up, you instantly sense the weight and durability. The surface is smooth and slightly oily to the touch. The character this leather develops even after one day of wear is like nothing we’ve seen before. The way it creases where your toe bends, the way the tongue forms indentations around the laces, the way the uppers mold to your foot. We think of these sneakers like a great pair of heavy raw denim or boots. They get more beautiful and comfortable over time.
The Gustin high top pays homage to the now classic sneakers we grew up wearing. Take one look at the shape of our high top and you know it captures everything perfectly — from the extremely low profile toe box, to the ultra clean stitch lines, to the absence of any extraneous materials. Beauty is in the small details such as the way top of the ankle gently swoops up at the back, the tight arc of the stitching on the heel counter, the perfect diameter of the eyelets. Our styling truly captures what we loved about our old sneakers, now done the right way
Our sneakers are constructed by hand in the Tuscany region of Italy by a group of craftsmen who have been making shoes since 1901. They have perfected their craft to the point where the industry's biggest and best names, including Lanvin, use them for production. All leather is die cut one hide at a time. Single needle stitching is used to construct the uppers. Binding clean finishes edges. Custom lasting creates the unique Gustin shape. An Italian-made Margom rubber sole is cemented internally and reinforced with 360° stitching to the upper. A calfskin-lined removable footbed is stamped with the Gustin logo. These are time honored techniques taken to the highest level.
Sneakers made in Italy to our quality level, that finally get the styling right and that use only the highest quality materials carry incredibly high price points. The Gustin model allows us to offer you a radically better value.
Gustin sneakers follow European sizing and run slightly larger than some US sizes. If you typically wear a US 9 in dress shoes or boots, we recommend ordering a US 9 in these as well. If you usually wear a half-size, we would recommend you order down to the nearest whole size. If you have tried on other Margom soled sneakers, you should order the same size.