TLB Mallorca Artista

We have a wide selection of TLB Mallorca Artista models available for immediate worldwide dispatch. If a size is sold out notice about this will appear when you select your size. We at Skolyx have worked together with TLB Mallorca to develop the praised range Artista. The aim has been to push the bar for Goodyear welted shoes in the midrange price segment, where we have looked and learned from both some of the absolute high-end RTW shoe brands and had help from bespoke shoemakers in England and Japan.

What is special about TLB Mallorca Artista?

The Artista line has both material choices, construction details and finishing details that are unique or very unusual in the price range we find these shoes in.
- Extremely narrow, bevelled waist, which marks the shape of the shoe and provides extra good arch support. Made with sole stitching all the way back to the heel, so the waist is not just glued or sewn as it usually the case when it's very narrow on less expensive shoes.
- The rounding of the waist continues in under the heel, which is otherwise almost only found on completely handmade bespoke shoes. This creates a stronger waist and a more natural look.
- Close-cut heels that follow the natural lines of the shoe.
- Heel stiffeners made of real leather (not leather board or celastic / plastic), which conforms to the feet in the best way and is a living material that can be reshaped if needed.
- Sole stitching with high stitch density of 8 spi (stitches per inch), along with a balanced fudging (decoration on top of the welt / sole edge).
- Very finely sanded sole and heel edges, even the waist edge is finely sanded, which is very rare. The final sanding is done by hand. It not only looks nice, it makes it much easier to polish them and keep them in good condition.

What kind of leather is used for TLB Mallorca Artista?

For the Artista range only the highest grade hides are used, 1st grade, and they come from reputable European and American tanneries, like Annonay, Du Puy, Charles F. Stead, Horween, Ilcea, Rocado and others. In all cases it's full grain leather where the whole hide is used, also when it's suede it's full reverse calf and not cheaper split suede.

Why is it called TLB Mallorca?

TLB is founder Toni Llobera Barceló's initials, and Mallorca of course the location of the factory. Toni's father and grandfather were leather craftsmen and it was natural that he should work with leather craft in some form. Toni has several decades in the shoe industry in various ways, among other things he was a factory manager at Yanko for many years. In 2018 he launched TLB Mallorca, with his own factory in the middle of the town of Inca in Mallorca, where all the steps of shoe making are done, from sewing the uppers to the finishing.

Does the fit differ between the different lasts?

All TLB Mallorca Artista lasts have the same base last, which means they are identical up to the toe part, where the toe shape differs between the different lasts. So Goya, Picasso, Velazquez, Dali and Van Gogh have more or less exactly the same fit, just a different shape of the toe.

Are there any independent reviews of TLB Mallorca Artista you can read?

There are many people who have reviewed shoes from TLB Mallorca Artista, both on different websites and on Youtube. Below are links to some reviews from well-known and reputable sites/channels, if you search on Google or Youtube you will find even more:
Permanent Style - review article
The Shoe Snob Blog - review article (written before TLB started to advertise on the blog)
The Elegant Oxford - Youtube review
Trenton & Heath - Youtube review and disassembly
Vladimir Riché - Youtube review

Is it possible to get belts in the same leather as TLB Mallorca's shoes?

Absolutely, we have belts in most of the leather types that we have shoes in from TLB Mallorca's Artista range, you can find these here. The belts are also made in Mallorca, by Toni Llobera Barceló's father who is an old leather craftsman. He's actually retired, but for his son's company he still sets up and runs the machines out in his garage.