‘It's about more than just shoes, it's about self-respect and confidence'

Times

7 days ago

To paraphrase Dr Seuss in his book Wacky Wednesday, it begins with the shoes.
A lot of grown-ups, it seems, were paying attention to the American children's author. The few bespoke shoemakers who remain are experiencing a boom — and a wave of orders are currently clogging their tables.
Tailoring is often said to be the highest form of British craftsmanship. But bespoke shoemaking is the ultimate bridge between art and practicality.
George Glasgow Jr, the CEO of George Cleverley in the Royal Arcade, has a working life as peripatetic as a Foreign Office mandarin — an indication of the global demand for British bespoke shoes. Thanks to his selfies with the sultan of Brunei and videos of Sylvester Stallone praising them on Instagram, George has managed to create one of the world's most successful luxury shoe brands without spending a penny on marketing.
While demand in cities such as New York, LA, Paris and Milan has waned, he says, in the past ten years places like Miami and Nashville are booming. And not everyone is after just one special pair either, he says. 'It is not uncommon to have clients order six to ten pairs at a time.'
The reason why they don't just use local shoemakers is simple, he says. There aren't many bespoke shoemakers outside of Britain, France, Italy or Japan. Recently Nicholas Templeman, a British bespoke shoemaker, moved to Vancouver and set up shop there, making him, I daresay, the only true bespoke shoemaker in Canada.
It's not an inexpensive club to join. A pair of bespoke shoes often costs north of £5,000 (and well into five figures for exotic skins). And, on top of that, a first pair can often take a year to be made. But according to Tony Gaziano, of the Savile Row bespoke shoemaker Gaziano & Girling, which makes shoes for the King and recently received a royal warrant from him, some people don't care. They just want the experience of going through the process.
How do the shoemakers justify the price tag? They make the shoes almost too good to put on feet and so beautiful that their new owners will just marvel at them. (Although longevity and comfort appeal too, Galziano adds, saying that a large proportion of their customers 'are men from the legal or medical professions who are required to wear formal shoes for work'.)
Last year, in spite of their high prices, Gaziano & Girling made about 150 pairs — an increase of 25 per cent over the past two years. That might be in part to the fact that, while their quality is extraordinary, by European standards the price tags are quite reasonable. Should you visit John Lobb in Paris (which Hermès bought in 1976) or Berluti, you might pay up to £1,000 more (and, given continental shoes are less structured and lighter weight, British makers can also claim yet more bang for buck).
What is true bespoke? Well, it is the process of making shoes by hand, tool and eye. After measurements are taken of the foot, a wooden last is created, which is not a wooden facsimile of the foot, but more the maker's interpretation of the inside of the shoe, and how it should be shaped to flatter the foot. All aspects of the shoe will be built round it, from the hand-patterned leather to the welt that connects the upper to the sole and is sewn by hand.
Most British shoemaking of this type is done either in Northampton, the home of British shoemaking, or in garden sheds by outworkers. Some is still done in London; if you walk into John Lobb on St James's Street, all you'll hear is the ticking of the grandfather clock and the tocking of tools. Ditto at Cleverly.
A newcomer in some ways is Canons Bespoke, formerly Fosters & Sons, which is run by Simon Bolzoni from a large space in Islington — aptly on Northampton Street. The sudden boom, the owner believes, is because bespoke shoes are an antidote to 'a world of unsatisfying, quick gratification. It requires a complex and unique blend of artistry and engineering, which results in a functional, technical item that actively enhances the wearer's quality of life, while also serving as an expression of their identity.'
Because makers take about three to five years to fully train, and the old guard are retiring, professional shoemakers are becoming an ever rarer breed. Canons have 20 — which they will need, given 2024 was their busiest year to date, with sales up 70 per cent compared with 2020. Thankfully, Dean Girling, the other half of Gaziano & Girling, says there are a tranche of young people coming into the trade, 'who are thinking more about working with their hands than tapping a keyboard'.
Covid, counterintuitively, also had a positive effect. Not only were men glued to their screens, but they started to appreciate craftsmanship more. On YouTube, a Japanese maker named Ken Kataoka of the house Siroeno Yosui has created a series of videos that regularly receive millions of views. All he does is record the process of crafting a pair of shoes from scratch across a 30-minute video. There is the ASMR draw but also the undeniably entrancing witnessing of an artisan making the very difficult look very easy.
There is also the great Texan Kirby Allison, whose mission, which he repeats like a sergeant major's 'left, right, left, right', is to communicate what true 'quality, craftsmanship and tradition' looks like. He has educated middle America in how to be classier and now has 800,000 subscribers and camera crews that make James Cameron seem indie. As he says, 'Shoes are a universal entry point into the world of quality craftsmanship and tradition. Unlike tailored clothing, where personal style varies widely, men tend to share a more consistent appreciation for well-made shoes. The distinction between expensive, entry-level footwear and high-quality shoes is also far more tangible, one can see and feel the difference.'
Kirby's audience is over 93 per cent male, between 25 and 44, primarily in America but dotted around the world. He hears from viewers all the time about how his videos inspired them to commission a pair of shoes. 'Many viewers describe a deep sense of personal fulfilment in their decision to begin dressing better. It's about more than just shoes, it's about self-respect and confidence. My job is simply to reveal the beauty and embellish the romance.'