Bespoke Archives - Page 2 of 15

Picture special – Calzoleria Carlino nubuck alligator wholecut

2025-06-01

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My latest new pair is these lovely bespoke wholecuts made in a nubuck alligator, from the Italian maker Calzoleria Carlino. It’s my kind of exotic shoe, relatively toned down and versatile. Here’s a bunch of photos of the pair. May serve as inspiration, since the company currently run their annual campaign where you can order MTO or bespoke (also remotely) in alligator or crocodile leather at no upcharge compared to standard calf.

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Picture special

Picture special – Top three World Championships of Shoemaking 2025

2025-05-13

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Jesper Ingevaldsson

Since it will take a while until I’m finished with the articles covering all the 25 contest shoes of the shoemaking world champs displayed at the super trunk this past Saturday in London, so as always I give you a brief picture special showcasing the amazing top three. Winner this year was Louis Lampertsdörfer, with Ken Kataoka second and Ken Hishinuma 3rd.

The web tip – Japanology Plus on leather shoes

2025-03-17

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Jesper Ingevaldsson

Last week the Japanese public broadcasting company’s international TV channel, NHK World Japan, aired an episode of the lifestyle programme Japanology Plus with focus on leather shoes. Here they met bespoke shoemakers like Shoji Kawaguchi of Marquess and Noriyuki Misawa, who also make art shoes, visited a shoemaking school and got shoes shined by Yuya Hasegawa of Brift H. The episode is in English and can be viewed for free online.

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Buying tip

Buying tip – Three highly interesting shoe brands

2025-02-23

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Jesper Ingevaldsson

I’ve done a few of these articles, highlighting three brands that are relatively unknown to the masses, either for being very new or for other reasons. This time it’s the Japanese MTO brand Lightbulb, the established Chinese brand Twinkima.G who now seem to start looking more internationally as well, and former Cleverley head lastmaker Adam Law’s own bespoke brand.

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The picture

The picture – Hand punching brogue pattern

2025-02-16

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Jesper Ingevaldsson

In a factory basically all brogueing is done with machines, done in a similar fashion as sewing machine basically. Most bespoke shoemakers do this by hand instead, punch every hole (or pair of holes in the case of the small ones) one by one. Here it’s done in the workshop of Catella.

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History

History – The true story of Nikolaus Tuczek

2025-01-18

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Jesper Ingevaldsson

Nikolaus Tuczek is one of the most acclaimed shoemakers in history, with an almost mythical gloria around him. Wrongly so. The Tuczek story is not about one brilliant man, it’s about several generations of a hard working family who had to fight and overcome many challenges, until a pair of slippers finally took them down. Bespoke shoemaker and shoe historian at his leisure William Efe Laborde is here to unveil the truth in an ambitious attempt at documenting a history of that great and misunderstood firm, in this guest article that also includes some unique photos.

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Report

Report – Wataru Shimamoto / Orma Shoemaker

2024-11-03

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Jesper Ingevaldsson

Wataru Shimamoto, the masterful Japanese shoemaker behind the brand Orma Shoemaker, is an inspiring figure in the world of bespoke footwear. With a background at Il Micio in Italy, he’s now back in Japan since some years carving out a niche for himself in the competitive landscape of shoemaking, culminating in his victory at the World Championships of Shoemaking in 2022.

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Buying tip

Buying tip – Kiichiro Ozeki’s new brand Fig

2024-10-27

By

Jesper Ingevaldsson

The Japanese shoemaker Kiichiro Ozeki has a background at Hiro Yanagimachi and Gaziano & Girling, but now he introduces his own bespoke shoe brand Fig. A new challenge where he for the first time will do all the steps himself, not only his famous bottom making, but also lasts and upper making. Fig now does its first trunk show in Japan.

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Shoegazing Podcast

Shoegazing Podcast – Ep. 32, Q&A Special nr. 3 with Daniel Wegan, Catella Shoemaker

2024-10-20

By

Jesper Ingevaldsson

By popular demand, the Question and answer podcast special with Daniel Wegan of Catella is back for another edition. This time we talk workload, potential business expansions, what he would have changed from when he started his own business, and much more.

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The picture

The picture – Comparing during making

2024-09-27

By

Jesper Ingevaldsson

Shoes are made in pairs, that’s been the case throughout history. As such, they are expected to look the same as each other. Even the cheapest shoes have rather high demands of a sync between each other, and then of course the higher the price the higher the demand. For a pair of really expensive bespoke shoes it’s expected that they are more or less identical down to the smallest detail.

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Bespoke

Picture special – Calzoleria Carlino nubuck alligator wholecut

Picture special – Top three World Championships of Shoemaking 2025

The web tip – Japanology Plus on leather shoes

Buying tip – Three highly interesting shoe brands

The picture – Hand punching brogue pattern

From the archive

News – J.R. sole leather recipe sold to Kilger tannery

The tip – Polish shoes after seasonal storage

World Championships of Shoemaking 2024 – All competition shoes pt.2

The picture – Round toe with chiseled sides

History – The true story of Nikolaus Tuczek

Report – Wataru Shimamoto / Orma Shoemaker

Buying tip – Kiichiro Ozeki’s new brand Fig

Shoegazing Podcast – Ep. 32, Q&A Special nr. 3 with Daniel Wegan, Catella Shoemaker

The picture – Comparing during making

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