A New Chapter in Handmade Elegance
When I launched our fully handmade 1202 Heritage Collection, I did so with a single goal: to create shoes that reflect the same craftsmanship, spirit, and soul as our bespoke work.
The Romeo Wingtip Oxford is the latest expression of that philosophy—a shoe where restraint meets precision, where every detail speaks to the quiet confidence of timeless design.
The Romeo is a 5-eyelet Wingtip Oxford, but not in the way you might expect. Inspired by the purity of the austerity brogue, its silhouette is elegantly understated—no brogues, no ornamentation—just clean, architectural lines that let the form speak for itself.
Each pair is hand-lasted, hand-welted, outsole stitched by hand, and hand-finished to the same exacting detail as our bespoke shoes. Crafted from French box calf leather from Tanneries du Puy, the Romeo embodies the artisanal values that define our workshop.
We’ve sculpted a double bevelled waist for both structure and grace, and designed an asymmetric pattern that removes the center back seam—allowing the leather to wrap smoothly around the foot.
A pitched heel sharpens the silhouette and creates a continuous line from the heel collar to the floor. Inside, a padded and embroidered insole ensures comfort that’s both refined and enduring.
As demand for our 1202 Heritage Collection has grown, so too has our commitment to meeting it without ever compromising on craft.
After a deeply rewarding experience working with Kenjiro Kawashima in our workshop Barcelona for 3 years—who won 3rd place in the World Shoemaking Championship of 2022 and who continues to create handmade shoes for us from his workshop in Seoul—we’ve expanded our team with two extraordinary Japanese artisans.
Hiroshi Takagi joins us after earning 2nd place at the World Shoemaking Championship of 2024 with a beautifully brogued loafer featuring a unique heel collar strap and horseshoe heel.
Hiroshi trained under So Tsuchiya for three years and has since launched his own line. Since the end of last year, he’s undergone intensive training with our team, and I’m proud to now count him among our core shoemakers.
We’ve also welcomed Kansei Wada, a graduate of Tokyo Zokei University with a degree in textile design.
Kansei previously led leather product development for boutique Japanese fashion brands, studied shoemaking in London, and refined his skills with several historic bespoke houses in England before joining at the beginning of this year.
Their arrival strengthens our atelier—not only in skill but in spirit—and affirms our long-term commitment to preserving and evolving the tradition of handmade shoemaking.
The Romeo Wingtip Oxford is now available to order. It’s a shoe for those who understand that true luxury lies in discipline, dedication, and the elegance of well-earned simplicity.
Warm regards,
Norman Vilalta
- Hand-lasted and hand-welted with a hand stitched out sole
- Stunning curves and seamlines without brogues
- French box calf leather from Tanneries du Puy
- Black box calf lining
- Double beveled waist
- Handmade patina in antique brown
- Delivery in 7 to 8 months
To place your order with a 50% deposit, use the code MTODEPOSIT during checkout.
Please note that the color and patina may vary slightly depending on the resolution of your computer screen.