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Japanese Daisuke Yamashita has probably visited more shoemakers and cobblers than anyone else alive today, something he has shared in books and on his blog. Now he has published his first e-book in English, called Bespoke Shoes in Europe & Japan Study Report. A nice overview of both various shoemaking schools and shoemaking techniques, easily available on Amazon.
For those really into shoes, shoemaking and leather old historic books about the topics are often gold mines of knowledge. It can be tricky to get a hold of old books though. Luckily, there’s some online sources that have ebooks for free, here I highlight some books on shoes and leather found on Project Gutenberg.
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.
The French brand Septième Largeur has updated their website, and it’s now up there with the best shoe brand websites around. Not only look good with good photos, it’s also packed with information on their shoes.
There’s many blogs out there on shoemaking, and many who covers aspiring shoemakers journey on learning the craft. One of the best ones in my opinion is the blog of Arno Shoes, who both share gathered shoemaking knowledge, writes about starting a shoe brand and venture into other topics.
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For those who really want to learn to make shoes, or those who want to learn how shoemaking is done, the best first steps is to read books about shoemaking. Luckily, some of the absolute best such ever produced are available to download from free from the website of The Honourable Cordwainers’ Company, in their The H.C.C. Guild Library.
The Japanese not only excel when it comes to shoemaking, they are also leading the way when it comes to informative Youtube channels on the topic. One channel that everyone who are interested in making shoes by hand and all it involves should follow is Crazy About Shoes, run by Ken Hishinuma of the bespoke shoe brand Khish the Work.
The blog Die, Workwear is an establishment in the more serious menswear sphere, with often long in-depth articles on various aspects of men’s style. Most recently he has published what’s could be described as an essay on the history of bespoke shoemaking, with focus on the UK and how internet is saving bespoke shoemaking.
An institution online for all those interested in men’s vintage shoes. The website Classic Shoes for Men collects and sell quality vintage and antique shoes, both used and new, and the library with over 2,500 shoes is a goldmine to dig through.
The US shoe and clothing store Division Road today presented their sixth instalment of The Patina Post, where they showcase how the patina develops on boots and shoes. This round there’s models from among others Crockett & Jones, Tricker’s and White’s boots included, and together with the previous rounds they form a great base to see how footwear in many types of leathers ages.
