• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • Amide Hadelin is right offering up to 40% off their excellent selection of exclusive menswear and accessories, including this Lambswool cable knit shawl collar cardigan made by a family business bon the Scottish borderlands. Please use code: SF10 at checkout for an extra 10% olf. Sale end February 2.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

The high end Chinese Shoe Thread

epsilon22

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2022
Messages
579
Reaction score
596
Do any of these shoemakers travel for bespoke fittings? I've always been curious about Chinese shoemakers but I haven't done much research into them.
 

clee1982

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
30,586
Reaction score
26,971
Other than that trunkshow in NYC I'm not aware, and I think ACME was let people trying size at the time not sure if they were doing bespoke or even MtM (as I'm not sure if they have committed to travel here often enough)
 

Pascal1980

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2023
Messages
405
Reaction score
394
Hello everybody,

actually I am interested in a balmoral boot from Yearn, which is available at Aterton in London.

I am familiar with the shoes from Crockett & Jones, Heinrich-Dinkelacker and also Carmina und TLB Mallorca, which I am wearing right at this moment.

Hence how does Yearn, and the other Chinese shoe makers, compare in the quality of the craftsmanship and the leathers to the known European mid-tier shoe makers?

Enjoy your evening and best regards

Pascal
 

NORE

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
5,538
Reaction score
455
Hello everybody,

actually I am interested in a balmoral boot from Yearn, which is available at Aterton in London.

I am familiar with the shoes from Crockett & Jones, Heinrich-Dinkelacker and also Carmina und TLB Mallorca, which I am wearing right at this moment.

Hence how does Yearn, and the other Chinese shoe makers, compare in the quality of the craftsmanship and the leathers to the known European mid-tier shoe makers?

Enjoy your evening and best regards

Pascal
The leather on my 2 pair is so supple, I sometimes question whether it is leather at all. Some of the highest quality leather I have encountered to date.
 

Pascal1980

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2023
Messages
405
Reaction score
394
The leather on my 2 pair is so supple, I sometimes question whether it is leather at all. Some of the highest quality leather I have encountered to date.
Thanks for your reply.

Then I take a closer look at the shoes of Yearn when I am back in London in End-February to Mid-March.

Enjoy your day and best regards

Pascal
 

ijustknow

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2019
Messages
232
Reaction score
185
Would definitely love to know more / hear about some of the mid range offerings from china. I'm waiting for two pairs from some middle/low price range offerings (Oct Tenth mainline & Gulun handwelt) to arrive so i can compare them against the higher end stuff. A lot of the Chinese brands don't seem to get much attention internationally but Fupei does some great articles on Wiracetas, Badia, and others.
I am really honoured to hear my name mentioned. Thanks for your kindness.
 

ijustknow

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2019
Messages
232
Reaction score
185
Hello everybody,

actually I am interested in a balmoral boot from Yearn, which is available at Aterton in London.

I am familiar with the shoes from Crockett & Jones, Heinrich-Dinkelacker and also Carmina und TLB Mallorca, which I am wearing right at this moment.

Hence how does Yearn, and the other Chinese shoe makers, compare in the quality of the craftsmanship and the leathers to the known European mid-tier shoe makers?

Enjoy your evening and best regards

Pascal
Hello Pascal,

I believe when everyone talks about Chinese products, they mention that labour is cheap, which is true, at least comparing to western Europe. So if you are looking for craftsmanship, you get best value from Chinese shoemakers, especially the ones I approve. (Sorry to be arrogant, but I literally owns more than 50 brands not pairs.)

About quality, to be fair, European shoes are more well thought and robust due to historical experience. The difference is minor though.
 

ijustknow

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2019
Messages
232
Reaction score
185
Do any of these shoemakers travel for bespoke fittings? I've always been curious about Chinese shoemakers but I haven't done much research into them.
Sad news, there are quite few bespoke shoemakers in China who regularly take orders.
I can only name two, LU Yang in Ningbo city and CHEN Hua in Guangzhou City.
A very respected old man called Master HUANG in Shenyang city, not really taking new clients.
JIANG Daoyuan in Qingdao, who is the founder of BADIA, is a bespoke shoemaker and worked three years in Stefano Bemer studio, does not really take bespoke orders as he needs to spend more time on his brand.

Considering only two working, you cannot really expect they travel too much even domestically, not to mention oversea.
 

Featured Sponsor

How do you prefer trousers to be finished?

  • Plain hem

  • Cuffed (1.5 inches or less)

  • Cuffed (more than 1.5 inches)

  • No preference, as long as the proportions work


Results are only viewable after voting.

Forum statistics

Threads
522,429
Messages
10,741,475
Members
229,546
Latest member
Jackie452
Top