The Find:
Giuseppe Zanotti bought the Vicini factory in San Mauro Pascoli in the early 1990s and started building shoes around a single piece of jewelry. This is that instinct at its most literal. A full pavé crystal seahorse, articulated in segments so it flexes across the arch, hand-enameled at the crown, fins, snout, and the curl of the tail in coral and burnt orange, with a painted eye. It runs the entire length of the vamp and doubles as the T-strap. The leather is quiet cognac calfskin, three whisper-thin bands and a double-wrap ankle strap, all of it deliberately plain so the ornament reads as sculpture.
The sole carries the VICINI stamp with Giuseppe Zanotti Design scripted on the footbed, the marker collectors look for on early production. Zanotti made a small family of sea-creature shoes during this period and they surface rarely, almost never in leather and almost never in a size this large.
The Details:
- Articulated pavé crystal seahorse ornament spanning vamp to toe, segmented for flex
- Hand-painted enamel detailing in coral and burnt orange at the crown, dorsal fin, pectoral fins, snout, and tail spiral
- Cognac calfskin toe band, arch band, and double-wrap ankle strap
- Metallic gold kid leather counter-strap threaded through the ankle wrap
- Gold-tone buckle closure with keeper loop
- Leather-lined footbed with Giuseppe Zanotti Design script branding
- Slim covered stiletto with wood-grain finish
- Vicini leather sole, Vero Cuoio, Made in Italy
Measurements: Marked EU 40½. Fits US 9.5 to 10. Heel approximately 3.5"
Condition: Good condition.
Authenticity: Guaranteed authentic Giuseppe Zanotti.
