This is the second part of the substantial review of all competition shoes in the World Championships of Shoemaking 2024. Here position 11 to 25 are gone through with comments and pictures.
Pt.1 with more info about the contest and positions 1-10 can be found here.
Results (click on maker/brand to go directly to summary):
11. Paul.B.d.n.
12. Rozsnyai Shoes
13. Taewook Hwang
14. Zainutdin Islamov
15. Kaspar Paas
16. Reid Elrod
17. Three Shoes
18. H.T Liao
18. The Last Shoemaker
20. Kim Junghwan
21. Fausto Ripani Shoes
22. Shota Iwasaki
23. Hudsons / Rui Murakami
24. Wataru Nagai
25. Lisa Teng
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11. Paul.B.d.n.
Paul Bogdan Bietanau with the brand Paul.B.d.n. continues with his very specially designed shoes with bulky round shapes. Also without waist, and with the sole being basically just a strip around the forefoot. Well-made, quite difficult, but low points on the aesthetics. Paul Bogdan Bietanau is based in Italy’s Marche region, where he focus on bespoke shoemaking. Paul has made all himself.
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12. Rozsnyai Shoes
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13. Taewook Hwang
One of the shoes that use the strap to make a whole of the design, in a lovely way. Taewook Hwang is a South Korean shoemaker who started learning shoemaking in 2018, the first year of the contest, and to enter has been a big inspiration in the progress to become a better maker. The shoe has some difficult parts like the very high stitch density of the sole stitch and the thin layers of the heel, execution a bit behind but still good. Tawook Hwang made all on the shoe.
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14. Zainutdin Islamov
Zainutdin Islamov from Russia has made a highly ambitious shoe. A lot of hand stitched parts, some great metal work in brass and silver, and to top things off it has actual diamonds decorating the screws in the toe and heel plates. The very narrow waist is neatly done. He learned shoemaking as a kid from his father, but didn’t make shoes for over 40 years. Since about six years Zainutdin Islamov has picked it up and enjoy shoemaking again. He made all himself.
Got a 5% deduction due to vamp not being a separate part.
Had to include a picture of the amazing shoe box that the shoe was delivered in.
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15. Kaspar Paas
A very petite, neat and special looking shoe. Made entirely by Kaspar Paas from Estonia, who a number of years ago worked as a bottom maker at John Lobb in London, and who has worked as an outworker for West End firms for many years. One of several shoes which highlights that it’s the year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, with a lovely embroidery. The super sleek waist and round shaped heel are a treat to look at, and hard to make this well.
Received a 5% deduction due to not following the specifications set out on shoe size.
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16. Reid Elrod
Reid Elrod, USA, has used stitching with thick decorative contrasting thread in a nice way, both with a Norwegian stitching and for the apron seam. The heel is hollowed out in the middle and well-built. Reid Elrod is based in Portland, he learned shoemaking in Europe, and he runs his own bespoke brand, connecting the European and American shoemaking traditions in a nice way. He made all himself.
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17. Three Shoes
Three Shoes is a brand based in Thailand, started by a Chinese immigrant 50 years ago. It’s run by Kongdej Sittisuporn. Their shoe celebrates the year of the dragon with it’s very dramatic vamp decoration. It has a very distinctly marked welt and includes the popular horseshoe heel. Many have been part of making the shoe: Kongdej Sittisuporn, Teerayut Sittisuporn, Arun Sittisuporn, Ornanong Sittisuporn, Sujin Chainpradit, Winit Sirimanatorn and Aniwat Phapui.
Received a 5% deduction of points due to the vamp not being a separate piece.
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18. H.T Liao
H.T Liao from Taiwan, but based in the UK, has made a shoe that obviously draws attention. The giant pink bow is a treat, matched with the pink Norwegian stitching and other nicely designed and made details.. We were deliberately a bit more liberal with the design makers could do, and even if in a way it makes it more complicated to judge, it does result in more diverse entries which likely makes it more interesting in many people’s eyes. H.T. “Emi” Liao trained shoemaking at Accademia Ricai in Italy, and currently is a piece worker at John Lobb in London.
Received a 5% deduction of points due to the vamp not being a separate piece.
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18. The Last Shoemaker
Another year of the dragon tribute, this time by the UK / Thailand company The Last Shoemaker. It received the same amount of points as H.T. Liao’s shoe, so they shared the 18th place. The shoe works with contrasts, not inly with the clever yin-yang built heel, but with thick contrasting sole stitching and the black and white embroided dragon’s facing each other. Scored higher on difficulty than on execution. Last and pattern made by company owner Allan Donnelly, embroideryby Jib Blouin, bottom making by Tannin Pinta.
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20. Kim Junghwan
Kim Junghwan is from South Korea, he has worked with shoemaking for 12 years and runs a shoe factory that produces the brand Kyle Shoemaker, as well as private label for other brands. His entry has a special design with the high very bulky heel and elongated pointy last. Well-executed overall, certainly high standard even here at 20th position. Kim Junghwan made all himself.
Received a 5% deduction of points due to the vamp not being a separate piece.
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21. Fausto Ripani Shoes
I was glad to see also this really classically designed full strap loafers, with a wide round toe box. This shoe by the Italian manufacturer Fausto Ripani Shoes is quite well-made, and it has some tricky parts like the intricate heel with “supportive” metal bars in the open spaces. Fausto Ripani Shoes was founded in the 1970’s in Montegranaro, in Italy’s main shoemaking region Marche. Fausto Ripani made the upper, his son Andrea Ripani did the making, and wife/mother Rosanna did the finishing.
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22. Shota Iwasaki
Shota Iwasaki from Japan do outwork for various Japanese companies, mainly patterns and uppers. And it’s evident that he’s a good upper maker, with some fine hand stitched details and clean closing overall. Bottom making is a bit more basic, but still rather good. A quite minimalistic shoe. Shota Iwasaki is preparing to launch his own brand. He made all himself.
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23. Hudsons / Rui Murakami
Rui Murikami runs the repair shop Hudson’s in Yokohama, Japan, and is looking to start making shoes under the name as well. The shoe stands out with its feminine touch with a high heel and low cut. The strap disappear into the heel in a cool way, and although stitched the sole is also fully brass pegged. Last made by Etsuo Tomita, design Yohei Koyama and Rui Murakami, the latter did all the rest.
Received a 5% deduction due to being made of only 2 pieces of leather, not 3-5 as stated in the guidelines.
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24. Wataru Nagai
From the North of Japan and the Hokkaido island comes Wataru Nagai. He’s an independent maker, and the shoe with the “Phantom of the Opera”-theme has many interesting things going for it. A busy sole with lots of nails, mask-shaped heel plate, and the “quilted” vamp is quite cool. He made all himself.
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25. Lisa Teng
Lisa Teng is from Singapore, and normally she do a lot of creative and specially designed footwear, but also do fully handmade shoes like here. It’s rather rough around the edges, and quite basic in make, even if sole stitch is rather dense. Has an interesting flap over the heel and some handmade decorative stitches.
Pt.1 with more info about the contest and positions 1-10 can be found here.
