The Chicago Super Trunk Show x Stitchdown Expo is in full swing. Today at 3pm CT it’s time for the final of the Americas shoe shine championships, hosted in collaboration with Saphir Medaille d’Or, which will be live streamed here on Shoegazing.
American-Japanese bespoke shoemaker Seiji McCarthy has achieved great success with his merge of classic American style with precise, skilled Japanese craftsmanship. He offers MTO, MTM and bespoke at exceptional quality. Here’s a buyer’s guide to the brand with a pair of bespoke longwings I ordered as base.
Church’s intends to move all its footwear production to the UK over the coming years, including models currently made in Italy. The plans would broaden its British manufacturing beyond the traditional Goodyear-welted range.
One of the latest additions to the entry level segment of Goodyear welted classic shoes is the Chinese brand Axen. A sibling brand to the established midrange brand Oct. Tenth. Axen offers classic styles on sharp lasts with a very sleek make which gives a look that punches above the €270 price tag.
A split toe derby is the shoe to be made for the next World Championships of Shoemaking. The final takes place at the London Super Trunk Show on May 15 2027. The sponsors have increased the prize pool massively to £10,000 (€11,700 / $13,300), plus handmade shoemaking awls, and a chance to be showcased in shoe stores around the world. Read the article for all the info about the contest.
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On some shoes, especially with longer tongues like boots or sneakers, it’s common that one have a loop which one can pull the laces through to keep the tongue from sliding to the sides. Too often I see this used the wrong way though, if done right it’s barely visible yet functions exactly as it should.
Time for the annual walkthrough of some new and / or interesting quality sneakers from a bunch of different brands. Most brands doing quality shoes nowadays offer sneakers of some kinds, and plenty others do ones with good materials and sometimes more proper constructions.
We now have the finalists who will compete at the Americas Championships of Shoe Shining 2026, taking place at the Chicago Super Trunk Show at Stitchdown Expo on Saturday November 7. There the three contestants will have 20 minutes to shine a shoe as glossy and lovely looking as possible. The prestigious contest is organised in collaboration with the premium shoe care brand Saphir.
The rapidly growing collagen industry is changing the economics of leather production. Bovine hide splits are increasingly being bought for the production of collagen used in supplements, beauty products, food and medical applications. The result is reduced availability and rising prices for split suedes widely used in affordable and mid-range footwear.
The Florentine based Japanese shoemaker Hidetaka Fukaya with the brand Il Micio has always been one to try out special things. This shoe with a unique patina done by the same technique as when one do paper marbling is certainly a really cool one that stands out.
