640cfba317fb4b7a79f65561.jpg。EXTREMELY WELL-MADE VINTAGE TASSELED LOAFER “Excellent Pre-owned condition. VERY close to new. Not worn much at all.” Country/Region of Manufacture: Italy Product Line: Florentine Pattern: Solid and Crocodile / Aligator Print Texture Type: Dress Features: Crocodile Print Texture, Aligator Print Texture, Tassels, Kiltie Color: Burgundy Upper Material: Leather Brand: Bostonian Shoe Width: Medium (D, M) US Shoe Size:9 .5M Occasion: Formal Italy ?? On the whole, American brands haven’t exactly earned a reputation for being expert shoemakers—bar perhaps the hardworking boots worn by cowboys or coal miners. Fine footwear has largely been left up to the experts across the pond, with cobblers in England and Italy turning out one sleek shoe after the next. But there are a few U.S. brands with history enough to hold their footing alongside labels like Frank Clegg and Mark Cross and are working to preserve the country’s leatherworking heritage—and Bostonian is one of them. Founded in 1899 as Commonwealt Shoe and Leather Company, the brand long outfitted well-heeled New Englanders (and American men at large) with expertly crafted leather oxfords, wing tips, and lace-up boots made entirely in its factory in Whitman, Mass. Its steady success caught the eye of Clarks Americas (a subsidy of the Desert Boot–making British brand), which bought Bostonian in 1979. Over the succeeding decades, it followed the tumultuous route of so many niche brands absorbed by larger companies.