November 12, 2018
I love these photos by Hiro Yanagimachi where he shows his magic in these 3×3 grids. As you can guess from the above and below, I am particularly fond of the medallion ones as I have always had a fascination with medallions and seeing people’s creativity come out in them. Medallions are probably the hardest thing about shoemaking. Let me rephrase that. Medallions are probably the hardest thing in shoemaking for one to completely get right. […]
November 7, 2018
I am not going to lie and say that I am a sole fanatic but there is something special about a well-crafted sole. I love to look at them and appreciate the skill that went into it, as someone who has done them before, knows just how difficult it is to make the ‘perfect.’ Well Eiji Murata, aka Main D’or, makes them perfectly. The best that I have seen and that is no joke. They […]
November 5, 2018
Using the traditional Cowboy boot features but blending modern design details to the boots seems to be all of the rage these days as I am starting to see more and more makers getting on board with it. Bestetti having a history in bootmaking as his first dive in handmade footwear, is starting to come stronger and stronger with RTW versions of his old craft. And it’s great, as I think that sometimes traditional makers […]
October 2, 2018
I am really loving adelaides these days and I think that many others are too. I see them often on social media and find myself nearly always attracted to them. The details about separating the facing as its own piece and not something that follows the line of the quarter, really makes it more appealing for me. I have a pair classic cap toe oxfords, but if I am going to be honest, they are really […]
September 24, 2018
In case you haven’t yet heard of him, Patrick Frei is the most exciting thing in bespoke footwear at the present moment. I have yet to do a major post on him because truth be told, time is just a luxury that I have little of these days but I won’t go too much longer without telling the backstory to this interesting individual who makes exquisite shoes. One of his latest creations is this intricate […]
September 5, 2018
For those of you interested in reading the thoughts of master last and pattern maker and one of my mentors in the shoe industry, Kevin Seah has just done a nice interview on Tony Gaziano of Gaziano & Girling at the LINK HERE. The shoe business is a tough one and most people see it as glamorous from the outside looking in, but in the thick of it, you go through a lot of ups […]
August 20, 2018
Sometimes the best pair of shoes is a simple pair of shoes. When I say simple, I mean a simple pattern, style, cut etc. But nothing is more boring than a flat and lifeless color so the way the shoe looks in terms of leather style/choice/color is very important. And that is preciously what attracted me to this exquisite pair of bespoke oxfords by Stephane Jimenez, of France. I am a pure sucker for a […]
August 17, 2018
Hiro Yanagimachi never ceases to impress with his array of ghillie designs, most recently having come up with a ghillie brogued boot unlike ever seen before! It’s a gorgeous pattern and you can bet when wearing these people are going to give you the positive vibes as this is truly a one of a kind beauty. My only critique is the last choice. This might be my personal preference but on a boot, I tend […]
August 6, 2018
Mexican Shoemaker Castez Ermili has created something that I have yet to see and find it very intriguing, even more so, very beautiful! A cross breed between a balmoral and button boot, this hybrid boot gives the best of all worlds. Its feel is extremely Victorian, an era that I love for the elegance that was expressed in men’s attire, particularly in the footwear department. Boots were rampant and button and balmoral boots were the […]
July 18, 2018
I love an underdog story and all of these Chinese bespoke shoemakers for me represent just that. Due to the industry of cheap labor and products, China over the last 50 years has received such a bad wrap for making ‘cheap things’ to the point where people scoffed at anything Chinese made. Now, I can most certainly agree with being against child labor and underpaying your employees to the point where it is nearly slavery […]
