FrontRunners: A Step Up

The custom shoes and accessories in a new, limited-edition line from George Esquivel (www.esquivelshoes.com) are made with the last of the leather from Borge Garveri, the Norwegian tannery that had supplied Louis Vuitton and Hermès since 1889. When Borge Garveri closed last year, Esquivel acquired a portion of its remaining supply of vacquetta leather. “I wanted to do something special with it,” says Esquivel, who has the leather treated with as many as 10 layers of color. Esquivel’s Lonevag oxfords, which have a starting price of $4,000 per pair, can feature the Los Angeles–based designer’s signature lifted toe and hand-tooled side panels.