Badalassi Carlo Oliva Minerva Box

The leather combines traditional vegetable tanning methods with naturally tumbled finishing to create a pebbled texture surface. Like other Minerva Box variants, Oliva develops patina over time and exhibits pull-up characteristics that reveal depth of color when the leather is flexed or stretched.

Badalassi Carlo Oliva Minerva Box is produced from cow shoulder in standard thickness of 1.5-1.7mm. Individual hides average 12-16 square feet in size. The leather features an unprinted natural grain that varies between skins, with some areas displaying flat surfaces while others show more pronounced pebbled texture.

The leather has a medium handle and maintains the soft temper characteristic of Minerva Box while providing sufficient structure for footwear and accessory applications. Surface variations are inherent to the natural tumbling process used in production.

The tanning process follows traditional Tuscan vegetable tanning methods refined by Badalassi Carlo over 40 years of production. Hides are treated with extracts of trunk and bark inside wood barrels for 30-35 days in rotating barrels called "Bottali." During this extended tanning cycle, organic tanning substances remain in constant contact with the leather.

After tanning, hides are greased with a mixture of animal fats and then drum dyed to achieve the Oliva color. The dry-milled aniline finish creates the characteristic natural pebbled texture without embossing or printing. This finishing method preserves the full-grain surface and natural grain variations.

Oliva Minerva Box exhibits pull-up properties when the leather surface is stretched or flexed, revealing depth of rich color beneath the top surface. The high fat content from the tanning process accentuates color development with prolonged use.

The leather is burnishable—rubbing with a dry cloth creates a brighter, more lustrous finish while darkening the color tone. This property allows craftspeople and end users to modify surface appearance through use and care. The leather develops patina over time, with wear patterns and color changes reflecting individual use.

Natural creams and waxes are compatible with Oliva for maintenance and conditioning. The vegetable tanning and fat-liquoring process creates leather resistant to normal wear while maintaining soft temper.

Grant Stone uses Oliva Minerva Box in their Brass Boot model, a Goodyear-welted boot with handsewn moc-toe construction and lug rubber sole. The boot retails for $348 (reduced from $435) and features Floyd last sizing, full-grain leather kip lining, antique brass hardware, cork filler with steel shank, and vegetable-tanned leather components throughout the construction.

Crown Northampton integrated Oliva into their Hand Stitch Collection sneakers in April 2024, creating footwear that combines Minerva Box calf uppers with vegetable-tanned calf lining and insole shoulder. The color selection process involved staff and showroom customer preferences from available Badalassi Carlo swatches.

The leather also appears in watch straps, small leather goods, and craft leather applications from specialty suppliers including A & A Crack & Sons and various leather crafting retailers.