A. Testoni Offers World's Most Expensive Men's Shoes

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Oct 15th 2010 at 9:01AM

For the astronomical price of $38,000 per pair, Italian luxury leather goods label A. Testoni is now offering the world's most expensive men's dress shoes. Testoni, founded in Bologna in 1929 by Amedeo Testoni, painstakingly handcrafts the Moro monk-strap model in the world's finest exotic alligator skin using the techniques of Norvegese, or Norwegian construction, for durability and added water resistance. Stiched with custom-made linen twine, the shoes are lined with glove-soft goatskin and adorned with a rich but discreet gold and diamond buckle. To make the eye-poppingly elegant footwear Testoni also employs a second proprietary process, called the piuma rapid, which requires some 200 manual operations to complete. Each pair is made up, deconstructed, and then put back together again in a patented method that results in a shoe as light as a feather yet which guarantees protection from hot, cold and humid weather.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: A. Testoni, alligator, diamond, exotic leather, gold, Italian fashion, leather, mens style, most expensive, shoes, worlds most expensive

Filed under: Shoes, Men's Style

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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)

John Naylor Oct 17th 2010 7:30PM

Allen Edmonds @ around $350-400 are the best, most comfortable, high quality, long lasting shoes I have owned. They are definately worth the price.

chris Oct 17th 2010 3:49PM

Ok, I'll start by saying I am in the furniture business (almost 40 years), so when I say this there is a little knowledge behind it. I could tell you the difference between an $80. and an $800. night stand. But, when they charge $8000. I can not tell you why it would/could be that much better. Its a piece of wood, and there is only so much you can do to it to make it better (Construction, finish, materials). I view these shoes the same. Having a Gold and diamond buckle does not make it better, only more expensive. The gold is actually softer and will not wear well. I had a pair of shoes custom made years ago (@ $2500), They resole for free and touch up the finish every few years. So I understand custom made. But, $38,000.? what can they do for that price? Building them and then deconstructing them to rebuild them?that seems like alot of wasted work.

Bob Oct 17th 2010 3:46PM

And you know every person in the White House has several pairs of these. Along with their tailor fitted suites.... That tax payers paid for.... Enjoy your Spam dinner America As we on the hill enjoy our Kobe Beef and lobster....

chris Oct 17th 2010 3:46PM

Ok, I would pose this question: Which is worse: Someone who can afford to pay $38,000 for a pair of shows and doing so. OR, The guy who feeds his kids with food stamps and public assistance buying a pair of $200. sneakers?

Chandra Metts Oct 17th 2010 4:40PM

Chris I like that, I get so pissed off when I see these parents that are on welfare standing in line to get a pair of 200 Jordans for their kids and cant afford to pay there bills. I know of a couple of people who get evicted for not paying 35.00 a month for there rent but have expensive tennis shoes on there feet and kids feet. So if you have the money to buy a pair of 38000 shoes and have worked hard and able to do so go for it.

gramorrison123 Oct 17th 2010 3:49PM

Can they talk, ( Shoes ), Can you wear them outside, or do you keep them in a show case.

Montana Oct 17th 2010 3:47PM

You got that right Brutal , I pictured one of those idiots wearing them the minute I saw the stitching , it screams ARAB

Bonbon Oct 17th 2010 4:16PM

I'll take three pair, one black, one brown, and one cordovan. :o)

Hey, people, chill. If you can afford them, why not? I don't understand why people think because they can't afford something, nobody else should buy it either. I'm sure there are many people (yeah, a lot of Arabs) in this world who'll pick up a pair. I say, good for you, enjoy. They're not going to spend their money on feeding starving kids anyway.

TEVA Oct 17th 2010 4:26PM

It is fitting that any company that makes a $38,000 dollar pair of shoes
was founded in Bologna. If you buy a pair of shoes for $38,000 are
you buying them for your feet or for your ego??

jerry lindsey Oct 17th 2010 4:28PM

As a retired state employee I think I will order TWO pairs - one in black and one in brown. Just the thing to wear to the Saturday night barn dance. Having said that, now who do you think will be wearing these? movie stars and politicians of course, the idle rich who by virtue of their money have access to the finest of everything. This is sinful in our current state of affairs.

Judy Gold Oct 17th 2010 4:36PM

I wouldn't wear these shoes to a cockfight!

bob Oct 17th 2010 5:04PM

Maybe...but, only if it was made out of Bin Laden's skin!!!!

JEB BUCKINGHAM Oct 17th 2010 5:47PM

Brutal, you should walk down the street on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and look in some of the windows at waaaaaaaaay over-priced ridiculous things for sale. Then you'll learn a whole new meaning for the word "disgust"!

MARTIN HUNTER Oct 17th 2010 6:23PM

38,000.00 for shoes! RUBBISH! No shoe is worth that, I don't care what argument anyone brings up! This world is getting so rediculous. Worse everyday! $38,000.00 could keep some poor homeless people warm and in the food etc.

magyymae1 Oct 17th 2010 6:25PM

You could buy a homeless family a small house for $38,000! There is no excuse for this kind of excess comsumption.

Ron Oct 17th 2010 7:28PM

True, but they would turn it into a drug din within a week.

susansbennett Oct 17th 2010 6:42PM

I've been in the luxury goods business for years. I know how really rich people waste their money. This is but a drop in the bucket to what I've scene people buy. Some of it would make you want to shake these people.
some of the items I've had to procure over the years are a pair of solid gold dog dishes, sheet sets that cost $60,000 for 4 pillow cases, 1 flat sheet and 1 fitted sheet and an umbrella stand made from the foot of a real elephant - that one was just heart breaking.
But I must admit, the stitching on these shoes is awful. That is a detail my discriminating client would look at first and scoff at. I will probably get a request of two for these shoes one day - but I can guarantee they will be a "No Sale" of the stitching really is as bad as it looks in the photo.
Sometimes I just hate my job.