We discovered the meaning of cosmopolitan the day we met Berna: open-minded, diverse cultures living side by side. Because reducing the Swiss capital to the beauty of the Alps, to urban, enterprising life or to Paul Klee at his most brilliant would be like leaving these heels in the wardrobe. Made to let you express yourself, ultra-light, flexible and comfortable. Slip them on and catch their spirit.
The Cinder - Peppermint puts both panels on show, one pale and one green. Here it works the other way round: the black back panel carries straight on into the sole, and from a distance you see an ankle boot in a navy so deep that plenty of people will read it as black. The blue only turns up under direct light —a shop window, a car's headlights— and drops away the moment you step into a hallway. Nappa Shinny has a taut shine, harder than a matt leather, and the rounded toe holds a small point of light that shifts with every step. Of the nine colours in the 1974, this is the one that asks for the fewest decisions in the morning.
Who is BERNA 1974 in Navy - Black for?
For anyone who dresses in navy almost by default and would rather not break that line at ground level. It works with a trench and a white shirt, and just as well with a short puffer on a Saturday mid-morning. The 8,5 cm heel over a 5 cm platform puts it in the high-heel bracket you can keep on through a full day of standing and walking. Stylised feminine last, sizes 36 to 42.
Move Me
The Softlight sole weighs little for the volume it has: the block looks solid, but pick it up and it comes in under what it promises. The channels cut into the tread sit where the foot folds as the heel lifts, so the stride finishes with the boot following the movement and the toes pushing less against the ground. After a long day, that shows up in the forefoot more than anywhere else.
Materials and construction
The upper is Nappa Shinny: a glossy-finish leather that doesn't crumple the way a matt hide does, instead marking fine, clean creases where the instep bends, and wiping clean in one pass with a damp cloth when the pavement splashes. The navy piece and the black rear panel meet in a visible topstitch that draws the line of the heel. 360º Stitched construction, with the seam running the whole perimeter of the shoe. 100% microfibre lining and a removable insole, which can be taken out to dry or swapped for your own. The zip sits on the inner face, stitched to the edge of the navy panel, leaving the front of the boot unbroken.
Size guide
Stylised feminine last with a rounded toe: the length runs on the snug side, the width is medium. Nappa Shinny doesn't stretch, so the fit you get on day one is essentially the fit you keep; the inner zip is what sets the volume. It takes a cotton sock; with a padded winter one the instep feels tight. If the zip runs all the way up without straining over the instep, that's your size.
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Heel Height (mm): 90
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Shim: Comfort last
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Closure: Zipper
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Manufacturing: 360º stitching
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Exterior material: Calf leather
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Insoles: Removable microfiber
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Outsole: Softlight
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Type of heel: Block
