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One of the more inspiring makers I’ve visited is the duo behind Alte Art, based in Asakusa in Tokyo, who mix traditional bespoke shoes with very spectacular, handmade art shoes. One example of this are these miniature versions that they made of various regular bespoke samples.
Ten years ago I shared a picture from the vintage shoe store Chart in Koenji, an area in Tokyo that is filled with vintage shoes, vintage clothes and other vintage goods. During my last visit in the city I went back, and of course hade to visit Chart and its sibling store Whistler again.
There’s some old textured leathers that has such a special character that becomes so popular that it’s copied as embossed leathers by plenty of other tanneries. The old Russian reindeer found on the shipwreck of Metta Catharina is likely the most famous one, another one is the German tannery Carl Freudenberg’s Impala grain.
Many bespoke shoemakers cut open fitting shoes to be able to assess certain things even better. Touch, feel and input from the customer may be the most important, but to gather extra data it can be good to get a view “inside”. In the case with this pair an extra feature of the cutting was used, where the maker Patrick Frei cut diagonal lines to let the fitting shoes expand to better evaluate how much needed to be added.
I write a lot about all the great general properties that leather has, and why this makes it the ideal material for footwear. Then of course there’s loads of special characteristics for various types of leathers, where one such is the gorgeous sheen you have on smooth calf leather with it’s dense pores and then some wax enhancing it.
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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.
A handmade bevelled waist can be strikingly elegant and make for a beautifully sleek shoe. But look at a fully handmade very well-executed square waist, like this one here by Akira Tani, which is strikingly good looking in a different way. A different kind of craftsmanship, but just as impressive.
One more year has passed, and we’re all older and wiser. As I’m in the middle of the celebrations with some friends here at home, I took a quick snap and sneaked off to the office to wish all of you Shoegazing readers a Happy New Year as well!
No Christmas without the annual picture post here on Shoegazing. This year with my burgundy bespoke seamless wholecuts from Yohei Fukuda in front of the Christmas tree. Contrary to last year, when we had lots of people gathered here in our house (we Swedes celebrate on Christmas Eve), this year has been calm with only closest family, a nice contrast.
The penny loafer and the tassel loafer are certainly the most common loafers models around. But with small tweaks you can make versions that stands out, like Hiro Yanahimachi’s split toe version of the penny loafer here or the more striking wingtip version of the tassel loafer.
