Buying tip – Blazing Wonder Shoes

Blazing Wonder, BW Shoes, has been one of the main players in the new wave of Chinese makers of fine hand welted men’s shoes – yet very few have heard of them. They’ve had their focus on producing for various other brands and companies – but are also offering their shoes direct to customers as MTO, starting at only €450.

Blazing Wonder Shoes, or BW Shoes, is the own brand of the Shanghai based Jiazhuo Shoes Factory. It was started back in 2012, is run by Helen Wu, and is fully specialised in hand welted men’s shoes. Today the factory employ 15 persons and produce around 300 pairs a month. Despite being around for a number of years it’s been under the radar to for most people. This since they’ve mainly been an OEM manufacturer, and there’s several quite well-known brands that are made here, though I can’t disclose any of them here. But if you’ve been interested in hand welted Chinese dress shoes and kept an eye on things in that area in recent years, you’ve surely come across a few of them, also here on Shoegazing.

Nice lazyman oxford, with a quite extreme tapered heel, which one can have specified to ones liking.

Such a sweet waist.

Excellent classic round toe last.

They started an Instagram for BW Shoes a couple of years ago, and when people have started discovering the lovely shoes they share there, orders have started ticking in to a larger extent also from international customers. Blazing Wonder offers only hand welted shoes, standard is with machine stitched front part of the sole and hand stitched slim bevelled waists. You can choose fully hand stitched soles as well though. Heels are cut really close, and the quality of the making is solid, especially considering the price. They have leathers from all the famous tanneries, like Annonay, Charles F. Stead, Haas, Weinheimer, Bonaudo and so on, you can choose oak bark tanned JR soles, and so on. It’s all Made to Order, and delivery time is about one month, two if a new pattern needs to be developed. Perhaps the best thing about it all is the price, starting at only €450 (3,500 CNY) for hand welted, half hand stitched soles made this way is quite impressive (price excluding shipping and potential tax/customs). One order by contacting Helen through Instagram DM or the contact options shared on their profile there, she’s good at English so communication is no problem.

Split toe derby in Utah grain.

Close cut heel, for sure.

Black punched cap toe on soft square last.

Fiddle back waist, JR soles, sunken metal toe taps.

Norvegese.

A seriously beautiful adelaide with peak heel counter in lustrous polo reverse calf suede from Charles F. Stead. All pictures:Blazing Wonder Shoes