The Contour of Luxury Summer 2019 | Page 209

The craft of constructing a bespoke shoe is an art In what ways did your move to Europe help you cultivate the art of designing a bespoke shoe? I don’t actually make bespoke shoes any-more. My brand is simply Ready to Wear and Made to Order but they are made in a factory. I don’t make anything by hand. My goal was always to be a shoe designer and sell shoes to the masses as my #1 goal always has been and always will be to ‘See men wearing better shoes’ and being a bespoke shoemaker will never allow me to see that goal through. But learning the art of bespoke shoemaking taught me a lot and has helped tremendously in my ability to be a shoe designer and push the factory to make the best shoes possible and make a refined shoes at my pricepoint that is unlike any other in the industry. Learning to make bespoke footwear gave me my eye for detail and appreciation for the small things that separate the greats from the mediocre. If I did not do my apprenticeship, I am sure that my shoes would not be nearly as good as they are. It was the foundation to my learning and exceling as a shoe designer.