A Softer Side of Gaspar

The beginning of a new year always brings a certain quiet pressure. After weeks of reflection and planning, I feel an urge to put something honest and beautiful back into the world.

This January, that feeling takes the form of a shoe that has been close to my heart for many years: the Gaspar U Tip Derby.

Gaspar has become one of the pillars of my work. It is a shoe that sits comfortably between formality and ease, between a classic hand stitched apron and a relaxed, wearable elegance.

I originally designed it for men who loved the presence of a traditional split toe but wanted something less rigid than a dress shoe.

Over the years I have seen clients wear Gaspar with denim, with flannel trousers, with corduroy, and even with tailored suits. It adapts to its owner, which is one of the most difficult things for a design to do.

This new version is made from repello suede and finished in a patina I have named Siena.

The name is personal to me. Before I ever had my own workshop, I was an apprentice in Florence, learning the discipline of shoemaking one mistake at a time.

Siena was only a short trip away, and a nice weekend escape. The warmth of the buildings, the softness of the worn stone, the depth of the browns in the earth all left an impression on me. That is what I wanted to capture in this patina.

Siena sits between light and dark. It is deeper than a tan or Darjeeling brown, but it never becomes heavy like espresso.

On suede it takes on a quiet glow, almost as if the color is coming from inside the leather rather than sitting on top of it. Each pair is hand finished, so no two will ever be identical.

Some will show slightly more warmth at the toe, others a bit more depth at the heel, and that variation is exactly the point.

What I enjoy most about working with suede is how honest it is. You cannot hide behind shine. Every brushstroke, every layer of dye, every decision remains visible. The Siena patina allows the suede to breathe while giving it a richness that feels appropriate for a shoe as architectural as the Gaspar.

I believe this version of Gaspar is one of the most versatile shoes I have made. It feels at home in a city, but it also feels natural in the great outdoors. It is refined without being fragile, and expressive without being obvious.

This is how I like to begin a new year.

- Norman

Enjoy the Quiet Power of Suede

Gaspar Derby - Siena Handmade Patina