Why Bespoke Dress Shoes Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Insider Business
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- čas přidán 5. 05. 2024
- Handmade bespoke dress shoes take months to make. Shoemakers transform rough measurements of a customer's feet into a one-of-a-kind shoe. One pair can cost over £5,000. London has been a hub for shoemaking for centuries, and while the industry has shrunk over time, an increase in demand from Japan and the US has helped to reignite interest in this craft. So, why would someone buy bespoke dress shoes? And what makes them so expensive?
Canons’ website: canons.com
Canons’ Instagram: / canons_bespoke
Intro: 0:00
Handmade Bespoke Shoes 0:33
Making The Last 1:11
Famous Lasts 2:20
Leather 2:59
The Upper 3:50
Making The Sole 4:38
Welting 5:41
Finishing 6:25
Shoemaking Industry 7:13
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Why Bespoke Dress Shoes Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Insider Business
I was so happy when I saw that young people were working on the shoes. It's refreshing to a see a trade that isn't dying every once and a while. I also feel like the business of making custom, luxury items will always have it's place.
Sure, but it's a dying trade. Most people cannot afford the prices such items normally sell for.
@@addanametocontinue It's not for those who can't afford them. There used to be a lot of these shops as stated in the video but then people stopped buying them as much and most died out but the few who remain still have customers because there's just the right amount of people who want to buy the shoes to keep these few in business.
@@DarioVidili it really goes to show how things are only affordable for people due to automation and cheap 3rd world labor
@@jasonsharpbucks True. Look at books, they were expensive as shit before the Gutenberg press, now look at us.
Children make everyone's shoes. Apparently, you never saw that video about the Nike factories.
My dad purchased a pair of bespoke shoe from Japanese shoemaker 20 years ago. Recently, they got a resole from a local cobbler and they look like brand new. I believe something like these could last a lifetime or maybe more.
I would have sent it back to the shoemaker who made it. If the shoes you’re talking about really were bespoke and made by hand as such, then a cobbler no matter how competent he is, most likely butchered your father’s shoes.
Cobblers are not trained to deal with handmade shoes, that’s why you only send factory made shoes to them, since they operate with machines. However a bespoke shoe would have the sole work painstakingly worked by hand by the shoemaker and a cobbler would just slap on a sole and stitch it with a machine.
@@reikiorr8217 I would have done the same. But unfortunately, the shoemaker passed away some years ago. The cobbler who fixed my dad's shoes is a reliable fellow and he's very competent in what he does. Apparently, the construction of my dad's shoe is a traditional kind and any cobbler with good knowledge and experience can fix them using the same method the shoe originally built with. So I would say no harm done yet.
@@reikiorr8217 It really depends on the cobbler, you're right many would absolutely ruin the fit of the shoe but there are definitely some who will know how to properly resole a shoe like this.
Although you are right in the sense that they won’t have the original ‘last’ which means they won’t be able to recreate the sole or attach it in the same way! Unless they carve a new last to the foot.
@@reikiorr8217 i would send them to Bedo's leatherworks
he has a channel on youtube and does some really amazing work
My dad was a shoemaker and as a child, I would sit and watch him do exactly what these guys are doing.
How cool
Only back then I bet he thought it's the most boring thing in the world. We never appreciate the little things from the grown-up world as kids. Unfortunately...
@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ
🙄
@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ we believe in jesus but we do not believe in your people. Jesus is not a God.
@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ hmm k
You have to pay for the work they put into it and not just the materials
It's more than that.....handmade shoes you pay for the material but they arent "bespoke" let alone by a master.
You are paying for the expertise and years of experience behind the craftsman
To a limit. 12,000 pounds for a pair of shoes is absurd no matter what. You can get Saville Row suits for far less than that.
@@Gg-ij7li perfect place for this. Genius really
Aren't u a clever little gnome
Shoes like these over guccis I respect because of the artisans and craftsmens/woman
I started making shoes a couple of years ago (I'm 41 now). My grandfather was a shoemaker and I remember him making his own shoes. I always kept those images in my mind like a photograph, waiting to do it someday. And that day came when I made the decision to start. It has been one of the best decisions I have made. I have found a different and fascinating world. Today it is my way of escaping from routine and stress. Greetings from Chile to whoever reads this message.
Outside of Europe, Japan also has amazing bespoke makers. The level of craftsmanship over there is crazy. Blind waist and no heel rand. I wish I had the money.
You and the rest of us. Lol.
Why wish??? Make it happen!
for shoes? sheesh, you're almost as bad as douchebag sneakerheads who think certain pairs of Nikes are worth 50-100k. i'm sure these are nice shoes, but literally no shoe is worth more than a few hundred dollars to me, and that's leaving room for specialized shoes like hiking or athletic shoes. a normal pair of walking shoes is only worth like 75$ to me, and i'll wear them for like two or three years.
China is up and coming too. Acme Shoemaker superiority
I own a pair of bespoke ones and I can tell you it’s not even worth discussing the difference between two. First look itself tells that they aren’t your regular off the shelf shoes. Only downside of bespoke is you can’t go back to mass market ones 🙂
Good things are addictive 😌
Kaha se liya bhai
The craftsmanship of these shoemakers is just awesome to see, from the moment they measure the foot to the moment you see the finished product.
@X5J9 what
What a good video. I really appreciate these videos that show people who love what they do. It’s not them bragging or selling themselves, it’s people who just love a thing and are excited to share it with whoever is interested.
These are like Stradivarius of shoes. Few can buy but the world is better for the excellence! I greatly admire the dedication to craft and art involved. Plus, these shoes show great honor for the human being.
it's worth the price considering the long lifetime of the shoes
amazing to see such craftsmanship is still going strong
You may say a bespoke shoe costs a lot of money, but the amount of skilled work hours of an experienced shoe maker, is definitely going to be much higher than say the effort of a designer hand bag that is made to be identical to each that is made on the production factory.
35 years ago I bought my last pair of Custom Handmade Snake skin Cowboy boots from a Family in Mexico. Shortly after the Father died and his Sons didn't want to make boots anymore. I bought 5 pairs from them when they were open. The best fitting Boots ever.
Last year I purchased a hand spun wool (“Marilyn Monroe”) Mexican sweater in Mexico. I remembered the specific town they made them in because I use to visit the market as a child on vacation. There he was, one man sitting in the market with no customers and crocheting beach coverups and the old wool style wool sweaters waiting for me lol. I was so happy and lucky that there are still the elders around to make them but soon that will be over. There’s only a few families left in the town that still make them using their old wooden loom machines. Their children no longer want to continue to trade. I don’t blame the kids for wanting to be part of modern society, but it’s a shame.
I am fortunate to not only be a young new shoemaker making my way in the trade but have the opportunity to work in a leather tannery. Surrounded all day by fascinating things. I've been studying shoe making and making pairs for over a year now. Absolutely love it.
I hope one day to make my shoes known in this world.
My left and right feet are not the same size so buying shoes has always be a real pain and hassle. I have always wished I could buy one side in one size and the other in another size.
I also have mild scoliosis (backbone is not straight). It's not really noticeable but I realized it does affect my walk.
Because of these two things, my right shoes always spoil/ruin/break before my left shoe and I'm always having to buy new shoes which has become a chore, not an enjoyable experience any more.
I can't afford something like the shoes in this video but it makes me think that maybe getting some shoes tailored (cobblered?) to me would save me a lot of grief and hassle.
Unfortunately, that’s not really possible in the way you are describing. The most expensive part of this whole process is the making of the last, which is very skill and labor intensive and is also what gives custom shoes their comfort. “Tailoring” existing shoes might even cost more than custom shoes because of the labor involved in removing all of the parts of the shoe necessary to get back to where a shoe could be re-lasted.
Yeah. A cobbler will be able to make you a pair like that. Making a last isn’t the only way.
I'm assuming you are referring to dress shoes and I'll tell you what I know about modifications.
You can infact buy shoes in two sizes. I think Zappoes does this for sneakers. If you want to do this for dress shoes I recommend Allen Edmonds. They are a quality resoleable shoe, that can be bought in two sizes online. They run $400 regularly and are almost always on sale for $250. Buying second hand barely used in two sizes also works. But it can be hard to match colors. Ive done it before on eBay but it takes time and luck.
You can then modify or have a cobbler modify then for you which will cost maybe $50-150 but is going to make your shoes far better for you.
It seems possible that you need one shoe to be higher than the other and you can modify heels on dress shoes. Basically you pull off the old heel (you need good dress shoes to do this) stack, glue, and cut leather to make up for your gait. I've done that for a friend of mine and he finds that more comfortable. Although that process can get expensive if you're not doing it yourself and requires the person doing it to be patient to find what works for you.
It might also be possible that you need custom inserts for your shoes. You'd need to consult with a podiatrist.
Also if your ruining shoes on the soles maybe half soles can help. Basically instead of damaging an expensive shoe you damage a cheap glued on half sole.
My friend has scoliosis and has about the same issue you have and what I talked about above is what I do for him.
If you have any questions by no means am I a professional cobbler or podiatrist but I might be able to point you toward answers if you reach out.
I often buy work shoes and there are a handful that loom good while still meeting PPE requirements, due to their nature you are to pay for a pair of fitting shoes, if adjustments like thicker siles are to be made you can order and wait but it's not unheard of them selling, say, 1 foot 39 and another 40 (br-eu sizes) and even extra small sizes are accounted for
orthopedic shoes
It’s amazing how few shoes actually are designed to fit a human foot…
A better way to say it is that human feet are widely different.
@@forktheporkTHIS!!! I worked in the shoe dept at a department store and SO many people didn’t realize that “sizes” are made purely as a general reference meant to cover a WIDE array of variance. And so basically that’s why your store bought stuff rarely fits perfectly (I say this as if I’ve got lots of handmade/tailored stuff when it’s the total opposite 😂) but it’s true! That’s why I tend to gravitate towards certain fabrics that are stretchy and more forgiving in that way.
They're all designed to fit a human foot. What you want to say is that they're not designed with a particular foot in mind.
@@user-iu1ru1qz7u look at the shape of your foot, then look at the shape of these shoes. Don’t you see the difference?? Most people’s feet don’t end in a long point like these shoes do
@That’s right that's excess shape/material though, your foot will still fit in the shoe.
If what you mean is they don't fully mimic the shape of feet, then you're correct.
There's a few out there that do. They don't look great though.
Thank goodness that younger people are taking an interest in such wonderful trades as this. I doubt at my age that I will ever be able to justify the expense of a bespoke shoe... but even us old geezers can dream, and we can sure look with pride and admiration at the succeeding generations. GREAT video, THANK YOU!
Beautiful. The precision and craftsmanship of bespoke shoes are truly something to behold. Glad that the industry's seen a "revival" in recent years. Not sure I'm ready to plop down the money for a pair of bespoke shoes over a pair of ready-to-wear from a "designer" shoemaker, but I can definitely see the allure for some with deeper pockets.
🥺🥺🥺this is the most beautiful shoe making i have ever seen that i cannot afford... but respect so much respect
Wonderful to see that the young generation are keeping it up. Don't stop it there is nothing so dear when an old trade is making alive again nothing beats a handmade product the love that goes into it is priceless well done guys you are champions 🏆 👍🌞
Brilliant - Luved the passion and dedication especially from Simon. Such a wonderful profession - as your amazing work will be worn, maybe, every day by clients who will walk in comfort, style and the assurance they’ll “last” a lifetime 👏
It is really wonderful that young people are turning back towards bespoke last and shoe making. This is a career for a lifetime. It would be hugely gratifying to go through the whole process and have your customers literally walking away happy.
Love it when craftsmen are kept in their trade. Telling their stories are helping!
Definitely worth the price with the skill involved in making them and they are literally tailored to you and will last a lifetime. I’ve always said if I ever come into money, I’d treat myself to bespoke shoes.
Depends on how much money you have - I don’t think I’ll spend £5,000 on shoes during the rest of my life.
I admit these shoemakers are very Talented but no pair of shoes are worth over £5 k. Even £1k is too much.
@@pabo-qv3nx it’s bespoke and made by a person, not a machine. Consider how many hours does the person spend on making a single pair of shoes? It’s a specialist skill so they’ll be earning more than minimum wage per hour. Then think of the cost of the materials, the overhead costs of rent, electric, tax, the equipment needed, insurance etc. can’t remember if this place is in London or not but it’s automatically going to be more expensive because cost of living is so high there. You got to know your worth.
@@saraanderson2784
Still overpriced. I bet they don't cost more than a grand to make. It's just people get brainwashed oh its handmade etc. Just like fine dining another thing some people think that it's great or paying for a hotel room that costs 50k per night and what do you get a bed,a toilet a bowl of fruit. Or paying £300 for a cup of coffee because the coffee bean came out of some creatures A hole
It’s because they’re “ Bespoke” that’s why. I love seeing people craft things , I hope we never lose this type of artist to machines
That’s how my great grand uncle and uncle made shoes when I remember those she was amazing and very strong great to see someone still practicing the craft
Amazing to see true craftsman that make shoes & watches!
Thank you for making these kind of videos!
Wow so amazing and yes I agree, so nice to see young people doing this trade and enjoying it. Each shoe is a piece of art, how satisfying it would be creating these for people - I wish one day to have the money spare to own a pair of these. Going through the whole process of fitting and choosing the style and type of leather etc would make me feel so special. Thanks for this vid - great information.
Your work is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing your time and effort
Thats not a Shoe thats PIECE OF ART right there 🥹❤️
Great piece , thank you for highlighting handcrafts.
I love when great skills are rewarded ❤
The craftsmanship very soothing!
The MOST beautiful thing I have ever seen!!! I wish i had the energy and strength ro so this beautiful craftsmanship!!!! I love shoes and all leather form fittings shoes AMAZING 🥰🥰🥰
Incredible craftsmanship.
There's something special and unique about having something crafted specifically for you; great video!
Our biggest salute and respect..gifted hands..
My father worked for a shoemaker for many years before becoming a mechanic. He made my first pair of shoes, he also made all my mums shoes and all his own shoes. Dad said when he was 18 years old before he got his first shoes. So the joke about having to walk 10 miles to school barefoot was real. Recently I have decided to go back to basics, spent three months slowly rebuilding muscle strength and starting to venture outside walking around barefoot. Now so hate the constriction of modern shoes I need to wear because of work. Wish I had spent the time learning this skill of making shoes from him. Way too old to make a career of it, at my age, but would be a great hobby
It is really amazing that young people are willing to learn this....hope one day I buy this shoes.
This is so exquisite, however, why not 3D scan/print the mold? It can save so much time and will allow more time and effort in the actual shoemaking. Just an idea.
Or create a silicone mold of the foot. No expensive equipment required.
"hand" made.....people who can afford shoes like this, think machine made is disgusting.....and they enjoy the thought of a human craftsman making them shoes or a rolls royce for that matter
I would love to learn how to do this. Wearing dress shoes are suprisingly comfortable but I fear damaging them. So learning to make them would be a wonderful experience.
shoemaking is such a beautiful skill to have. im 17 years old and studying shoemaking. its really nice that i (together with others) can keep the trade alive.
Great craftsmanship, amazing 😍😍😍😍😍.
Excellent work well worth the asking price. Dying craft ? You bet not ! There will always be a critical mass of people who appreciate the finer things in life. Keep up the good work. 👍
So cool!! What a treasure that this still exists in our lifetime!
Great video! I would enjoy seeing a more detailed video of following a new customer going through the entire fitting process!!!
Also, is being an apprentice the only way to learn this trade?? Or are there trade schools that teach it?
Great video - thank you!!
Good to see that craft is going strong. Beautiful shoes.
This is so beautiful, absolutely
These shoes are exquisite. They mastered their art and the material looks sturdy
This is amazing!!!
1:01 - That was beautiful pair of black Chelseas. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of those.
Thank you for sharing ❤❤so nice shoes
I have three pairs of trickers, four NPS, one Barker's and two Berwick. all Goodyear welted shoes/boots and wear them every day. I couldn't recommend them enough.
😀👍🏽 This is beautiful! ❤️
What a beautiful looking shop. Very appealing
With a lot of the so expensive videos, I can't quite wrap my head around _why_ but ngl, if I could afford it, I would _love_ to get a pair of custom shoes. I recently bought a pair of heels, and they fit perfectly!
Well. One of them fits perfectly.
The other is too big. Because human bodies as weird, and my feet are two different sizes. :/
Look into tongue pads and heel liners. There’s also heel pads. I had to use some of these for my loafers that were a little too roomy.
My feet are radically different. One narrow and long with very high arch, the other short and wide and flat. My coworkers couldn't understand why I spent so much for bespoke shoes but I finally have a pair that fits and comfortable for the first time in my life. What a relief, it's worth it!
I'd be so curious to see them make some bespoke barefoot zero drop wide toe box shoes, athletic or dress, either would be dope.
Thank you for your sharing.
This is so fascinating to watch. 🇬🇧
I just drool over the craft... it's a really interesting process.
3D scanner and 3D printer will eventually enhance this process of making beautiful shoes.
Won't enhance it, it just makes it faster and easier which is the exact opposite of what they are doing.
It's been tried a few times by various companies, but is not yet a replacement for experience, tape measure, paper and pencil. We shoemakers like to feel the foot, to understand pressure points, structure etc. Scanners etc are just another tool available to us in the measuring process.
After I save up for a down payment on my house. I’m getting these shoes! Would love a custom bespoke cordovan shoe for my flat wide feet
Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing.
This was relaxing to watch 😃
Met the folks at Nick's Handmade, once. A shoemaker's handshake is the firmest you'll ever grip.
I wonder why brands don't just do bespoke with machines. Measure the customer feet, make a last through molded plastic, and then make shoes based on that. It would tremendously cut down the cost but offer a true to size, bespoke feel.
Art is something beautiful and skillfully man made, like these shoes
Dat was een erg leuk filmpje. Ik had hem met mijn vriendin gekeken en we waren allebei geïntrigeerd.
What an amazing job!
His workshop shoes are the most beautiful loafers I’ve ever seen, complete with tassels!
A number of factors appear to be reasons for the higher price right from the expertise of the maker, training of the maker or makers, materials, and other expenses concerning running a business. Many higher end bespoke shoemakers in particular in London are in pricier locations. Finally, the positive experience for the buyer from start to finish is a factor in my view.
Exactly! People spend money on all kinds of experiences, travel, clubs, etc. This is an experience in it's own right and some people really enjoy it for all the same reasons you might enjoy some hobby for example. When you go to an expensive restaurant you don't just pay for the food, you pay for the whole experience.
@@ivankrasimirov9334 I agree. The only time I don't agree with this concept is Hotel rooms and to a point First Class on some train services.
That was actually quite incredible
Anyone else was transported to their younger years when you heard, “Simon says…”😆
Very cool, I wonder if the lass could be made using a 3d-scan and 3d-print, could probably lead to higher precision and be a lot cheaper
I was listening to Daniel Wegan who is the 2019 world champion shoemaker and he mentioned that 3-d would be useful for mass manufacture to get aggregate shoe data but not bespoke lastmaking since it requires interpretation of the customer's feet and the way they walk.
@@bradle4162 Interesting! Ive seen a fair few vids on bespoke stuff (incl from Wegan) and one of the interesting things is how some shoe makers use ink impressions, while others only do regular measurements and outlines!
Wonderful job! I wish you to have many customers. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I studied footwear design at the London College of Fashion, Cordwainers Footwear pathway, and the processes that go into making a basic court shoe are indeed numerous (51) as well as the cost of quality materials. Independent footwear designers rarely make a sustainable living from their work, often having second jobs just to be able to keep doing what they do. For that reason, a bespoke shoe at that cost, is worth it's valuation.
One day when i have the money, i will go there and get made the perfect shoes for me... ❤
Love these kind of shoes.
I've watched hours of videos on YT watching cobblers doing their craft. It's nearly as relaxing as watching a cat take a bath. ;)
Unfortunately, here in Portugal , besides being one of the biggest shoe producers, there's no bespoke shoemakers , there are a hand full of shoemakers that basically make boots for the police men and some marketers , the cost of a hand made pair of boots sells normally by 30€ by those shoemakers. The people here dont look at tradition, quality or durability in shoes, or at least dont want to pay for it. Im being trained by one of the last shoemakers here and is heartbreaking to me seeing all his effort and love put in one handmade pair of shoes and people still complain about the boot being too expensive...30€... For a handmade start to finish pair of boots. Is just unbelievable. Im Hoping to see changes in the future, and seeing the shoemaker community grow in Portugal
Where are you located in Portugal?
It’s beautiful, the craftsmanship ❤ the fact that the shoe is made specifically for you is itself so heartwarming 🥹❤
I am from indonesia ...very apreciate with british acent , her voice its very cool 😊👍
wow! They are really the perfectionist.
I'd love to have a pair of bespoke boots made. They'd be so comfy.
Shoe making is not dying in my country. Last year I registered a shoe making company.
Things have changed but you have to keep in the know. Many companies and Department stores have "sister" stores. Going back to my Grandmother, Saks Fifth Avenue and Gimbels were sister stores. Twice a year Saks would send all their shoes to Gimbels for a huge sale. In the 1970s I got a pair of Charles Jordan sandals, high heels for $19. Bruno Magli - hand made shoes. There are still stores where these companies send their stock. Some of them are only open 3 days a week - that's a little clue, if you see a place like that. Got a Norma Kamali leopard print dress, I saw worn on Who's the Boss, for $19. You just have to look but oh! SO WORTH IT!!! Once you wear a well made shoe or item, as such and see the difference - there's no going back.
Bruno magli are they still handmade though since a venture capital / private equity firm bought them.. Probably "increased efficiency by making a production line
3:03 Wow, I never really thought about it that way.
Im glad this is still a thing
Please don't hate me, these professionals are amazing. We now also have 3D scanners and machines that can print an exact mould. This mould can be tweaked, extended etc even carved more by hand. The cost should come down and made more available to everyone, not just the super wealthy
Absolutely beautiful 🌹🕊
Love it! insider B!
Most respected craftsman, the Shoemaker 🥂
One of the creators of D&D, Gary Gygax, worked as a cobbler before the game took off. He had a workshop in his house.
Very amazing! Such attention to details ✨️
He should partner up with Adidas or Nike 💰
Sure, they can charge for how much cost + profit. But doesn't mean it is worth it (unless if the person really likes the art of shoe crafting). Just buy a custom insole for 200dollars
Am glad the younger generation are interested in the craft.
I’m learning how to make these🎉
Looks like a fun job
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