A bespoke pair of shoes is forever 鈥 like the handmade pairs crafted by 海角社区官网shoemaker聽. 鈥淚f you take care of them, they will last a lifetime,鈥 he said.
It is for this reason that a steady stream of customers make their way up a tidy Junction Triangle laneway, through a small wooden gate to a studio doorway that smells faintly of leather. Inside, they are greeted by an aproned Feeney, who over coffee or a tipple of something harder, introduces them to the process and options, before taking a simple charcoal trace outline of their foot.
From there, Feeney and his friendly band of cobbler鈥檚 assistants will, over the course of the next few months, cut, stretch, sew, stitch and burnish into existence, not just footwear but wearable works of art; a process he鈥檚 perfected since creating his first pair of shoes over 20 years ago.
His end product is far superior to what you鈥檒l find on a rack, for three main reasons. 鈥淔irst, it鈥檚 made to your specific measurements, so things you may have found difficult with generic sizing are completely ruled out,鈥 Feeney said. 鈥淪econd, the attention to detail on every step of the process far outweighs a factory setting. And lastly, the materials we use are of a superior quality, hand-selected for every single element of the shoe.鈥
The process is an investment of both time and money. From the first trace of your foot to unboxing, it can take anywhere between three to six months and the cost typically starts at around $2,000. So staying conservative in terms of the design is key.聽As far as colour, stick to black or a dark chocolate suede.聽
鈥淚 always tell people to create the shoe that they are going to have to try not to wear,鈥 said Feeney. 鈥淭oo many people go crazy on the design to make it special and then never wear it because there鈥檚 too much going on. Start by filling the void of or replacing a simple staple.鈥
Custom shoes in progress at Peter Feeney’s studio.
SuppliedThat staple might just be a stalwart style seeing a resurgence: The loafer, long a staple of Ivy League grads and swaggy Italian gentlemen.
In recent years, the loafer has been interpreted in wildly editorial ways on the runways but has evolved into something closer to its original self. 鈥淢enswear had been balls to the wall in this 鈥榳ild style鈥 era. I think people started seeing the utility in having something simple and streamlined that has been around for hundreds of years. And loafers were the perfect place to start,鈥 said GQ鈥檚 style editor Yang Goh, who has been covering the shoe鈥檚 resurgence since 2018.
Proof of its popularity: Streetwear brands like Aime Leon Dore, Noah and KITH, all of which have ties to sneaker culture, have introduced versions of it into their collections.
We鈥檙e now witnessing a full-on revival of the classics. Oxfords, derbies, monk straps and boots of all kinds are all popping up in men’s fashion influencers鈥 get-ready-with-me videos and NBA players鈥 tunnel walks.
鈥淚 think people are looking to embrace those traditional forms of menswear again, but put their own spin on it, which is heartening to see,鈥 said Goh. He himself wears his favourite black cowboy boots almost daily. 鈥淧eople are also realizing that the classics are way more versatile than they might have realized. A great pair of leather Oxfords, for example, can be dressed up or down easily, and a loafer literally goes with everything: jeans, chinos, fatigues or a suit.鈥
Of course, price point is an important consideration. If custom isn’t in the cards just now, the midtier (around $500 and up) is loaded with amazing up-and-comers like Morjas and Blackstock & Weber, as well as a host of renowned heritage brands like Alden, Grenson, Loake and Church鈥檚.
If you鈥檙e on a budget, it doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e out of luck. 鈥淭here are a lot of incredible affordable brands out there for dress shoes,鈥 said Goh. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e just starting out and want a great pair of Oxfords, you can get yourself a pair of Dr. Martens, the kind you used to wear in high school. They can fill in for dress shoes and have a bit of a punk edge to them, which is cool. For loafers, you can鈥檛 go wrong with G.H. Bass Weejuns. They won鈥檛 run you more than a couple hundred dollars and are really reliable.鈥
Investing in timeless footwear is never a bad idea, because here, quality matters. And there鈥檚 no such thing as a well-rounded men鈥檚 wardrobe without a good dress shoe.
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