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This week world champion in shoemaking 2019 and formerly Gaziano & Girling bespoke, Daniel Wegan, has his first trunk shows on home turf in Sweden with his new own brand Catella Shoemaker. Not that many pictures of the first samples have been available, here to rectify this is this picture special article going up close with these magnificent pieces of footwear.
He has been working with shoes since 1977, hosts shoemaking courses for people from all over the world, and he has made lasts that’s been a source of inspiration for Gaziano & Girling’s acclaimed Ready to Wear lasts. Meet the Swedish bespoke shoemaker Janne Melkersson.
One of the most interesting new brands that’s been introduced lately is Acme Shoemaker. Based in Beijing, they are a serious contender to making the finest RTW shoes in the world, and also offer MTO, MTM and full bespoke, all at very competitive prices. Here’s a substantial buyer’s guide to the brand, with an MTM order I’ve done as base.
Yesterday I received my third pair from the mythic Japanese bespoke shoemaker Eiji Murata, alias Main d’Or. Shoes made literally to perfection, incredible craftsmanship and finishing. Here’s loads of pictures of the masterpieces.
It’s lovely to see how much can be done just by enhancing things a bit, like the shapes of the last on this seriously amazing bespoke sample made by Patrick Frei and Kazuya Kimura. It’s essentially a regular soft square toe, but with curves and angles carved to perfection.
Shoemakers are in general quite artistic and creative people, and it often shows also in other areas than the specific footwear. One such example is the shoe trees, where we can find awesome pieces made by bespoke makers and/or their shoe tree makers. Here’s a look at some of my favourites.
In the middle of Paris, a stone’s throw from Champs Élysée one find not only Berluti’s large flagship store, but also their large workshop for bespoke shoes. A big, well-trimmed business where shoes of absolute world class are manufactured. Shoegazing paid a visit.
This old bespoke sample above from George Cleverley is a nice example of how them, and some earlier British makers like Nicolaus Tuczek, made their bottoms back in the days. A slim, very asymmetrical waist and a small, short heel with a heavily curved breast (the heel part facing front) and only brass nails in the back.
In the article on the Amsterdam super trunk, I showed a new bespoke sample from Patrick Frei / Kazuya Kimura, which was made to look like the really old shoes you see on the shelves of older bespoke companies. As with John Lobb Ltd. in London on St. James Street, where the picture above is from.
In this episode of the Shoegazing Podcast the legendary French bespoke shoemaker Christophe Corthay talks about shoes and art. Hear him talk about when he left Maison Corthay, about how he thinks that the bespoke shoe world in general makes boring shoes, and how one of his targets with the new brand Tranchet Vif is to make shoes that people don’t want to wear.
