Over the summer of 2015 I had the opportunity to work under Frank Beneduci in his shoe shop located in San Francisco.  At the end of my time there I was able to help with the production of his shoes, as well as design and make my own pair. I decided to reference the classic style of the penny loafer to pay respect to the tradition and craft of shoemaking.  I had also been searching for a great pair of woman's loafers for some time, however the only ones I was drawn to were made for mens. 

This pair of shoes was hand crafted by myself with the assistance of my co-workers and teachers. It is made from Italian Nubuck leather which I had fallen in love with the first day of working. I loved the texture, contrast and compliment this hide had to the veg-tan soling leather, which we used in all of his shoes (minus the sneakers). 

To find my own design I used a modern sneaker last, and implemented loafer points of traditional pattern making to find the the perfect fit. Most of the details came from the process of making, and looking at bespoke shoes.