BRUNATE court shoes: toes, heels and materials
A court shoe is closed at the toe and at the heel, cut low across the instep and fitted with no fastening: it stays on the foot by construction, not by a strap. It is the dominant shape on this page, and it comes with two different toes. The round toe visually shortens the foot and leaves more room for the toes; the tapered toe lengthens it and asks half a size more of anyone with a wide forefoot. The choice between them does not follow heel height: both toes appear on the low models and on the mid-heel ones alike.
Heels run from 1.5 to 7 centimetres, and the collection splits into two bands. Below 4 centimetres the foot stays close to its natural stance and the shoe holds up through a full day; between 4.5 and 7 centimetres the load shifts onto the forefoot and the shoe changes what it is for. Anyone not used to heels does well to stay in the lower band and move up in stages, because adapting involves the calf and the tendon before the foot itself. Height and band, low heel or mid heel, are stated on each model's product page.
Uppers combine three materials: suede — the same material shown as camoscio on Italian labels — smooth leather and fabric, frequently paired within a single model. Suede is brushed dry with a rubber or bristle brush once it is dry, and never washed; smooth leather asks for a nourishing cream two or three times a season; fabric is treated with a protective spray before first use. Where suede is paired with an embossed printed leather, cleaning follows the smooth-leather routine, with a soft cloth worked into the grooves of the print.
Underfoot the construction is consistent: the insole is leather, a material that absorbs moisture rather than holding it and that takes the print of the foot with use. The soles do vary, and the stride varies with them: rubber grips on wet ground and cushions, leather is thinner and stiffer and sits better on smooth floors, and the mixed version brings both materials onto the same bottom. To compare other shoes of the same shape, start from the women's court shoes category.
