I’ve said it before, and I’ll likely say it again: few beat the Japanese bespoke shoemaker TYE when it comes to shoe design. They can do the craziest of things as well as really toned down stuff, but almost always in a unique way with a perfectly balanced design and pattern. This apron derby is no different.
The sweeping line at the back that continues in the faux apron stitching is truly exquisite, and the contrasting stitching works so well with the medium brown suede. One can see that this is made by people who truly care about – and truly can do – design. The fact that it’s superbly well-made doesn’t make things worse, obviously. TYE is a bespoke shoemaker duo based in Asakusa in Tokyo, which consists of Tsuyoshi Ohno and Yohei Shiwamura. They can be said to be among the closest we get to Haute Couture in the men’s bespoke shoe world. You can read more about TYE and their ambitious approach to shoe design in this article.
TYE is one of the most impressive shoemakers. Their designs are at a different level and just flat out impressive. I reached out to them to chat about possibly making a shoe, but unfortunately they never responded.
Michael: Impressive for sure. On contacting them, you have to understand they are contacted by hundreds of people every month that ask about their shoes and say they want to order, via email or IG,most of them much less seriously interested than you are, but it’s hard for them to know. It’s only ones that are in Japan or are confirmed having a trip there that they reply to, otherwise they wouldn’t have time to make shoes.
Thanks Jesper. I can admire from afar. đ