Why Handmade Shoes?

Of late, there has been a proliferation in the growing number of brands who are distinguishing themselves as a cut above the rest in the offering of traditional, handcrafted or handmade shoes. Shoe brands like Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Gina, John Lobb, Crockett & Jones and Aubercy are some typical examples of this trend bent towards preserving a diminishing heritage.  Yes, it is business but the deliberate branding to elevate such artifacts for the feet had brought back into prominence a fading age old craft. Handmade labels comes with a premium price tag and obviously have to be priced higher than the commonly found counterparts which are machine-made.  Normally, handmade shoes are equated to artifacts of impeccable quality and overall prestige. But aren't those attributes attainable by the cheaper machine-made shoes too?

So then what's the fuss about handmade shoes? What justifies that premium price tag?



Before diving into the subject, it should be noted that there are different levels on how much actual 'hand' work has gone into a shoe and the prices varies according to the levels reached.  However, that's a story for another day. 

Right now, I'll be just touching generally on the concept of handmade shoes that are crafted purely by human hands. On the surface, when comparing handmade shoes with machine-made ones, the latter seemed to be the obvious superior piece because manufacturing processes being more efficient would produce the end product to look more polished, cleaner and precise in their finishing . Apparently, that is not the trend, because as society becomes more educated and wealthier, more and more people are looking at handmade shoes as more superior than those coming out from manufacturing lines. This is for a good reason because handmade shoes have invaluable and irreplaceable values.

Values that aren't necessarily obvious to the eye or to the touch. 



The first is because it's made out of human hands. And along with this workmanship by hands, comes a sort of unseen but intrinsic mark that is grafted into the shoe. A mark that is very like a piece of the craftsman's own 'soul'. That 'soul' is the collective makeup of the craftsman's personality and workmanship; his patience, sweat, endurance, skills, knowledge, intelligence, emotions, and creativeness. This is the unpredictable but essential aspect of handmade shoes because every craftsman has his or her own unique 'soul' and therefore every piece created, there is no exacting twin.

Interestingly, this can be seen from both a positive and/or also a negative perspective.



Positive because no machine can achieve (so far) that uniqueness and level of creativeness that are only inspired from within the master-craftsman and which he or she might use to develop and apply during the crafting process. A negative perspective perhaps, because of a possible inconsistency in the quality of the shoe's finishing and is dependent on the craftsman's skills and emotions. But, it is from these inconsistencies  - I prefer the word unpredictability here because it implies an awaiting surprise - that imperfections may arise and if subtle enough can be transformed into unique beauty lines and or marks that will distinguish one pair of shoe from another. Also, in this matter of unpredictability, it is the ability of the craftsman to minimize or beautify the artifact by striving to reduce imperfections manually which is a great testament to man's ability to surpass his or her own human limitations.  Manufactured shoes present precision and predictability whereas in handmade shoes, in the craftsman's endeavor to bring crafting to perfection, he or she brings out the best and the best is seen in the fine finishing. 

Truly, handmade shoes are a celebration of humanity. 



I think it should be remembered that handmade shoes are sculptured art pieces. So, it does require a certain amount of discernment and appreciation to fully embrace handmade shoes. It has to be like appreciating an art piece created by an artist. A handmade shoe is an artifact; it is art.  It has to be an appreciation of what is beyond the end product; the complex creative and skillful process which goes into actualizing the design into a shoe with its fine finishing and feel.  It is also the story behind the shoe; how the craftsman through his or her passionate and wholeheartedness creates and completes a shoe and in the process, communicates what is in his “soul” as reflected in that art piece. Just like a face to face conversation, or a handwritten letter, it is personal. Yes, it does require a deeper understanding but in my opinion, this reflects an understanding of what is “sophistication”.

Maybe, I'm over romanticizing. 

Though it may seemed I have only pointed out the beauty of the shoe from an abstract nature, many might not have seen that as an immediate or tangible benefit.  However,  I do believe humans have a more fulfilling experience with objects of beauty - shoes in this case - if we know how to build an emotional and philosophical appreciation for it.  Appreciation for something begins only when someone get to know the story behind the object. Therefore, with that in mind, wouldn't such "abstract" advantages in a shoe be preferable?
 

Anyway, having propounded my views in this article, it should be appreciated that I am not dismissing machine-made shoes as being worthless. What I'm trying to do is to put across the viewpoint that you can't directly compare a handcrafted shoe to a machine-made one. It is like comparing a hand-drawn portrait to a photograph taken by a camera. Both have it's own unique and deserving value which require a separate and different appreciation.
 

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Walking In Milano With Prada Men

This is Prada's “Walking in Milano” collection of handmade men’s shoes. I've been studying and increasingly appreciating men's handmade shoes, to the extend I struggle to find my two machine produced leather shoes as interesting as they used to be. This collection of Prada shoes are probably contributors to my current shoe predicament. The design theme, “with classic character with a modern twist” admittedly, isn't a very new idea. But, how far can you go with men shoes for the more formal occasion? The majority of the men market (and women's perception of how a man should dress) isn't receptive to more deviant or abnormal designs. I am still of the opinion that there should be a distinction between the styles of the men and women (I'm still trying to grasp the idea of men on heels) but I would like to see more daring fashion innovations among the men.

Anyway, the modern twist on the classics is looking absolutely dandy to me. Personal favorites are the two-toned "wingtip bluchers" (the 1st photo) and the monk straps (the 4th photo, on the right). I'll be posting up the step by step video of the shoe's handmade process that will leave you simply awed and desiring your very own handmade shoe.

All photos are courtesy of selectism.com

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Gold On My Black Suede Heels

# The original concept of the heel was to be the all black heel but during the later stages of the design process, we decided to give it a gold highlight. 

# The primary idea was a shoe that was posh yet quirky as we hope to give the pieces the image of being stylish but not too serious. Hence, the purple interior rather than all black.  

# Most of the current designs are instilled with the 60's "young spirit". Fresh & bold is the theme.

# Since I opted for the 4-inch heel, the challenge was to capture the same definition a 5-inch heel gives. The cut and curves are important.

# The platform curve was a pending design but applied it anyway, to differentiate from other heels. It'll be a reoccurring look in the current designs.

# I feel that the color palette used, convey the feelings of smooth & velvety - luxurious.

# Extra padding for the ball of the foot was inserted since the shoe is meant to be a versatile heel - more walking time with more comfort.

# The end: my first completed handmade high heel beauty.

Reserve Black Gold Suede Heel.

For The Philippines

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Handmade Shoes W.I.P

My favorite part of the shoe business is the creative aspect. I love coming out with concepts and designs - the dreamer part of me. 

And nothing excites me better than to witness the step by step process of an idea coming to the final product. More so, when it comes to handmade shoes! The smell of glue and leather mmm... 

Oh! These are our first batch of patent faux leather shoes awaiting their 'soles'.  

#Sneak Peek#

The essential - The Black Patent Heel.

The *Click click click* Wedge 

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