Japanese Shoes: Bespoke & RTW Super Thread

[dan'l]

Thanks again, @daizawaguy! I found Ando's Instagram page, but it doesn't look like he has a website or other contact details on it. I guess I'll have to create an account...

It seems that most of the shoemakers are concentrated in the Tokyo area. I was hoping there would be more in the Kansai region, but I guess I'll have to do some more digging.

 

[Stefan88]

Thanks again, @daizawaguy! I found Ando's Instagram page, but it doesn't look like he has a website or other contact details on it. I guess I'll have to create an account...

It seems that most of the shoemakers are concentrated in the Tokyo area. I was hoping there would be more in the Kansai region, but I guess I'll have to do some more digging.

I believe Ann is there.
Also Koji Suzuki, Il quadrixxxxsomething

 

[j ingevaldsson]

Thanks again, @daizawaguy! I found Ando's Instagram page, but it doesn't look like he has a website or other contact details on it. I guess I'll have to create an account...

It seems that most of the shoemakers are concentrated in the Tokyo area. I was hoping there would be more in the Kansai region, but I guess I'll have to do some more digging.

Yeah there’s quite a few. Apart from the ones mentioned above you have for example Andante and Yuki Shirahama.

 

[dan'l]

Yes, Ann.bespoke is in Osaka. His shoes look great, as do Koji Suzuki's, but I think they are a bit out of my reach, budget-wise.

I did not realize il Quadrifoglio was out in Kansai, too. @ecwy posted a beautiful pair of boots from them.

Anyways, I'm just tire-kicking for now. My goal is to find a smaller shoemaker who is not doing trunk shows or partnered with a retailer, with the idea to develop a relationship with him/her. Ideally I'd like to meet two or three the next time I am in Japan and see how things progress. Of course nothing may come of it, but it is something to look forward to.

 

[dan'l]

I just saw your post, Jesper. Thanks for the additional names!

 

[Stefan88]

Yes, Ann.bespoke is in Osaka. His shoes look great, as do Koji Suzuki's, but I think they are a bit out of my reach, budget-wise.

I did not realize il Quadrifoglio was out in Kansai, too. @ecwy posted a beautiful pair of boots from them.

Anyways, I'm just tire-kicking for now. My goal is to find a smaller shoemaker who is not doing trunk shows or partnered with a retailer, with the idea to develop a relationship with him/her. Ideally I'd like to meet two or three the next time I am in Japan and see how things progress. Of course nothing may come of it, but it is something to look forward to.

If you want to buy into bespoke, I think you should consider 300-400 000 yen a base cost. You won't get good bespoke cheaper anywhere else.

 

[ecwy]

Yes, Ann.bespoke is in Osaka. His shoes look great, as do Koji Suzuki's, but I think they are a bit out of my reach, budget-wise.

I did not realize il Quadrifoglio was out in Kansai, too. @ecwy posted a beautiful pair of boots from them.

Anyways, I'm just tire-kicking for now. My goal is to find a smaller shoemaker who is not doing trunk shows or partnered with a retailer, with the idea to develop a relationship with him/her. Ideally I'd like to meet two or three the next time I am in Japan and see how things progress. Of course nothing may come of it, but it is something to look forward to.

In addition to the names mentioned, Kyoto also has Kentaro Soyama who speaks English decently well.

Regarding pricing, generally as ,mentioned the price is around 300k yen onwards for most makers. Sometimes you see 200+k yen quoted but check if tax or last making fee is added. Also, check for add ons. For example,il Quadrifoglio price was all-in for me without additional stuff, some makers add amounts for broguing, sole work, pattern work etc. In any case, they are still relatively "cheaper" compared to European makers. Anyway, you will only need to pay 50% deposit so the price is going to be spread out over ~2 years.

If you are into the planning stage, I would suggest to cluster the makers based on location otherwise you end up travelling around a lot. For example, il Quadrifoglio is literally few mins walk from Shin-Kobe station so quite convenient if you take the Shinkansen (JR pass for example). Ann is 1 subway stop away from Osaka station (not Shin Osaka). You can cluster Kobe and Osaka as they are 15-20 mins away by local train.

Kyoto is a bit trickier, only Soyama san is within walking distance of the major train station (Kyoto station serves both trains and shinkansen trains) whereas you will need to travel a bit more to visit Andante and Yuki Shirayama but both of them are within a couple of streets of each other.

The good thing is if you are flying out from Kansai airport, all 3 locations have a cheaper ICOCA & HARUKA ticket for tourists.

Lastly, not quite sure what you mean by the relationship point, but even if they do trunk shows, most of the makers mentioned are not running a large workshop and just supervising hence the work is still "personal" if that is your concern. They will still be happy to take your order directly and I would be surprised if they refer you to the retailer. I did my Ann pair with a local trunk show (I'm not based in Japan) but that was purely for convenience. Measurements and subsequent work (except for closing I believe) were all still executed by him.

Hope that helps your planning!

 

[dan'l]

Dear @ecwy, thank you very much for your detailed reply! I also appreciate the posts you linked in your signature. Very easy to find them for future reference.

I am purely in the planning (aka fantasy) stage now. I have no real itinerary for my next trip yet, so either Tokyo or Osaka would be possible. As I wrote before, ideally I would like to meet a couple of shoemakers during my trip and understand if they fulfill my needs. By relationship I am referring to my desire to have a shoemaker for the long-term and not just for one pair of shoes. I can accept that the first pair may not turn out perfect, so it is important to establish a trusting relationship with the shoemaker. Also, I am curious by nature and tend to ask a lot of questions. Of course I am respectful when asking questions and my aim is simply to understand their craft - I would never assume to be more knowledgeable than them. Therefore I prefer to have the direct contact with the shoemaker and not via an agent or retailer, if that makes sense. I guess one of the reasons I am into bespoke (clothing, shoes, or otherwise) is the personal contact - call it a sense of nostalgia, but I enjoy speaking to the craftsmen doing the work.

Regarding pricing, you and @Stefan88 seem to have the same feedback that ¥300,000 is the lower limit. I will keep that in mind.

I really appreciate everyone's input so far!

 

[ecwy]

Dear @ecwy, thank you very much for your detailed reply! I also appreciate the posts you linked in your signature. Very easy to find them for future reference.

I am purely in the planning (aka fantasy) stage now. I have no real itinerary for my next trip yet, so either Tokyo or Osaka would be possible. As I wrote before, ideally I would like to meet a couple of shoemakers during my trip and understand if they fulfill my needs. By relationship I am referring to my desire to have a shoemaker for the long-term and not just for one pair of shoes. I can accept that the first pair may not turn out perfect, so it is important to establish a trusting relationship with the shoemaker. Also, I am curious by nature and tend to ask a lot of questions. Of course I am respectful when asking questions and my aim is simply to understand their craft - I would never assume to be more knowledgeable than them. Therefore I prefer to have the direct contact with the shoemaker and not via an agent or retailer, if that makes sense. I guess one of the reasons I am into bespoke (clothing, shoes, or otherwise) is the personal contact - call it a sense of nostalgia, but I enjoy speaking to the craftsmen doing the work.

Regarding pricing, you and @Stefan88 seem to have the same feedback that ¥300,000 is the lower limit. I will keep that in mind.

I really appreciate everyone's input so far!

Well, you can definitely find sub 300k makers but they price that way because they are relatively unproven. They can be good but you are probably taking a bigger risk vs a more established maker. New makers may not offer bespoke and may only offer MTM at the start as well. In terms of making you can see quite a bit from pictures but fitting is hard to gauge. I think the Japan market is generally quite transparently/fairly priced setting aside some exceptions. I am not easy to fit and some makers have asked me back for 2nd fitting (more fittings, less profit) so I feel they generally try their best to resolve the issue.

Oddly, I take a different approach as I am trying to sample more makers in different styles (English, Italian, French, German trained etc) rather than sticking to one. I don't rule out repeated orders but so far, I am still happy exploring different makers. Most likely my first repeat order will be with Nishiyama san due to trunk show and it's much easier logistically for me that way. I think I mentioned it in the other (non Japanese) bespoke thread but I enjoy the process (discussing with maker on design ideas, patterns, technical details etc) more than the end result. The initial planning stage is always the most fun for me.

 

[daizawaguy]

Kiyo Uda - Black is my second pair, the brown (last two photos) are his entry into the 2019 World Shoemaking Championships.

 

[Stefan88]

Kiyo Uda - Black is my second pair, the brown (last two photos) are his entry into the 2019 World Shoemaking Championships.
View attachment 1213490

Beautiful shoes and design. Enjoy!

 

[Concordia]

A little theatrical, but very nicely proportioned. And sensational finishing, of course!

 

[dauster]

"Parisian Gentleman" mentioned in one of his videos that a lot of Caucasian customers have trouble fitting even bespoke Japanese shoes because they cater to "Asian feet" (whatever that is). He stated that that a lot of Asian customers had the same problem (historically) with European shoemakers in the past. Is that correct or a too generalized statement? Can anybody with personal experience with the Japanese shoemakers comment on this please?

 

[JLPII]

"Parisian Gentleman" mentioned in one of his videos that a lot of Caucasian customers have trouble fitting even bespoke Japanese shoes because they cater to "Asian feet" (whatever that is). He stated that that a lot of Asian customers had the same problem (historically) with European shoemakers in the past. Is that correct or a too generalized statement? Can anybody with personal experience with the Japanese shoemakers comment on this please?

I'm kinda intrigued by this generalization to say the least. There are so many types of Asians feet. Some have bigger feet as well. Perhaps Hugo Jacomet meant Japanese feet, which in general, are smaller. Shoes in their department store that I visited mostly have size UK 6-6.5.

I heard from a bespoke shoemaker that actually from his experience, Asians (of Chinese descent) have wider feet compared to long and narrow feet of his European clients.

I would love to hear insights from Jesper, Shoegazing, since he had many shoes made by Yohei Fukuda, Main D'Or. Thank you.

 

[beargonefishing]

There is no way a good bespoke shoemaker is unable to fit a customer based on ethnicity, that's absurd. Stock sizes will always reflect the target market, unless the businesses aren't interested in making any money.