No two feet have the exact same dimensions. The shoemaker can only make shoes that are as well fitting as the measurements he obtains from the client. While a tailor producing a custom suit has the benefit of recommending 2 to 3 fittings, the shoemaker has to get the right fit in one go if he is offering made to measure services and at most 2 tries if he is offering bespoke services. Since made to measure is often half the price of bespoke, it is only fair to say that bespoke is requested by clients who have very troublesome feet and no matter how skilled the shoemaker is in getting the right measurements, he can not predict how sensitive...

Creasing in leather shoes is normal, but there are things that can be done to keep your shoes from showing very pronounced creases. From my experience, after having worn ready-to-wear and bespoke custom made shoes, the main reason why leather shows pronounced creasing behind the toe box area is due to a shoe that is too large for our feet. It is the extra leather that gives room for the shoe to crease and stay creased. I have been wearing this pair of cap-toe oxfords for 2 to 3 times a week for the past 18 months and I have been able to keep them in this state basically using the two tips below: 1. Using leather conditioning regularly on your...

We all wish we could skip this step, but even the Queen of England is known to hire women to wear her new shoes first before she does.  How long it takes to break into your new leather shoes will depend on the construction of the welt, the fit, and the leather used. Blake stitched shoes will normally take less time than Goodyear welted shoes because the sole is much thinner, but Goodyear welted shoes made of full grain calfskin from Italy or France takes on average a day or two of wear before the leather softens and starts to mold to your feet. If shoes don't get more and more comfortable after this period of time, then the problem lies with...