Badalassi Carlo Oliva Minerva Overdyed Black

This finish develops a distinctive aging characteristic as the black overdye gradually wears away through use, revealing the olive-green base color underneath. The leather is available in boots including the Cordmaster and Valiant models, featuring Norwegian Stormwelt construction with a six-month made-to-order lead time.

The Minerva leather used for this finish is a full-grain vacchetta leather infused with Italian fat wax, characteristic of Tuscan vegetable-tanned production. The roughout version is presented with the flesh side outward before receiving the black overdye treatment. Standard Minerva smooth leather measures 1.2-1.4 millimeters (3-3.5 ounces) in thickness, while heavier versions reach 2 millimeters (5 ounces) with a tolerance of plus or minus 0.2 millimeters.

The leather exhibits a smooth grain surface with notable color depth and is dyed completely through the material, ensuring consistent coloring on edges without requiring additional edge paint or dyes. The material burnishes well, creating glass-like edges when properly finished. The flesh side remains soft, and the leather is considered easy to cut and skive for various leather working applications.

Badalassi Carlo employs traditional vegetable tanning methods using natural tannins extracted from tree barks, leaves, and other plant materials. The tannery holds membership in the Genuine Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium, adhering to strict standards for sustainability, transparency, and craftsmanship. This consortium certifies that leather is tanned using strict traditional vegetable methods rather than chrome or synthetic chemical processes.

The resulting leather is biodegradable and produced following Tuscany's environmental regulations. The vegetable tanning process allows the leather to develop an attractive patina as it ages, a characteristic enhanced by the leather's ability to absorb natural oils and moisture. The dense pores of vegetable-tanned leather readily absorb dyes and finishes, which facilitates the overdyeing process used for this finish.

The oliva (olive-green) roughout leather undergoes an overdyeing process with black dye, creating an initially darkened appearance. As the boots are worn, the black overdye wears away in high-friction areas, progressively revealing the olive-green base color and the nap of the roughout surface underneath. This creates a hunter green color showing through the black finish in areas of flex and contact.

The leather creases easily from initial wear, with ankle rolls forming quickly during break-in. The overdye begins to wear off within months of regular use, with the olive color and roughout texture becoming visible in high-wear areas. Each pair develops a unique pattern based on the wearer's gait and usage, making the patina development distinctive to individual boots.

Sagara, founded in 2010 and operating from Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, offers this leather in multiple boot models through their made-to-order program. The Cordmaster model features the Morgan last, Norwegian Stormwelt construction, a single midsole, and dr. Sole Cord Full Sole number 1122 in black. Pricing for ready-to-wear examples has been listed at 5,900,000 Indonesian Rupiah (approximately 380 USD based on exchange rates), with made-to-order pairs requiring a six-month lead time.

The Valiant model also features this leather construction. Sagara utilizes handwelted construction methods, combining hand lasting and hand welting techniques to an extent rare in contemporary bootmaking. The company offers full customization through their made-to-order line, allowing customers to specify construction details and materials.

The vegetable-tanned nature of the leather means it continues to soften and develop patina through regular wear. The material absorbs water readily, a property inherent to natural vegetable-tanned leather that facilitates dye absorption. Normal exposure to air, light, skin oils, and other environmental factors contributes to the darkening and patina development process.

The roughout surface with overdye requires consideration for maintenance, as the worn areas revealing olive-green cannot be restored to the original black appearance without reapplication of dye. The leather's tendency to crease easily is characteristic of softer vegetable-tanned hides, with break-in described as relatively easy compared to stiffer chrome-tanned alternatives.