The Tess
Szya
The Tess
Digital Passport · SZ-S2-012
Made in
Florence, Italy
Atelier
Atelier Szya, Oltrarno
Year
2026
Craft time
58 hours
Artisans
5 hands
Times worn
12
Owned by Sarah · authenticated on the Szya ledger
The Tess is the atelier's most technical silhouette — a cantilevered sculptural wedge in hand-printed snakeskin-effect leather. Each pair takes two extra days to balance the heel by hand.
Inside the atelier
The materials
Printed python-effect calf
Hand-screened scale print on Italian calf, sealed by hand.
Sculptural wedge
Carved and cantilevered core, finished in matte black calf.
Leather sock & lining
Vegetable-tanned, branded with the Szya seal.
The craft
Hand-made in Florence — 58 hours of work across 5 pairs of hands.
- 1
Cutting
Each panel of python-effect calf is hand-cut from a single hide, aligned to the grain so no two pairs are ever identical.
- 2
Lasting
The upper is shaped over a hand-carved wooden last and left to rest for 72 hours so it holds its line for life.
- 3
Hand-stitching
Every seam is closed by hand with waxed Italian thread at nine stitches per centimetre.
- 4
The heel
The sculptural heel is set, balanced and lacquered, then married to the sole entirely by hand.
- 5
Hemming & binding
Edges are skived thin, folded, bound and burnished with heated irons for a seamless, raw-free finish.
- 6
Finishing
The pair is conditioned, numbered, boxed and signed by its maker before it earns its passport.
Care & keeping
Store with the shaped trees on cedar. Rotate wears, shield from direct heat, and let the artisan re-finish the soles once a season — this pair is built to be handed down.
Szya · Wear your things