Contents
These hot-steppers boast some of the best shoemaking skills and heritage the world over.
Fine shoemaking is not typically a process one can reproduce en masse. By its very nature, it’s an artisanal craft that often requires decades of experience to perfect, and that’s before we even talk about the complex bespoke process.
Suffice to say then that there are only a handful of truly luxurious brands out there that are dedicated to the craft. Many come from predictable places – the UK shoemaking hub of Northamptonshire, the Marche region of Italy, or Paris – whereas others new to the scene bring a fresh perspective on traditional styles.
Either way, the following list features some of the most revered shoemakers operating today.
MYRQVIST
MYRQVIST Mölle in dark brown calf
MYRQVIST Boden in black country calf
Founded in Sweden in 2016, MYRQVIST is one of a host of modern-day luxury shoemakers operating direct-to-consumer models. What this means is you get all the hallmarks of premium footwear – the highest quality hides; handmade, Goodyear-welted construction; high-end design – at price points well below the established names on this list.
Each pair is handcrafted in Portugal using the finest leather and suede from the very best tanneries in the world, including the Hermés-owned Tannery du Puy in France and Charles F. Stead in England. The result is an exquisitely crafted shoe that is worth every dime.
Velasca
Velasca Badalüch Derby shoe
Velasca Pacciasass Derby boot
Another new-age direct-to-consumer shoemaker, Velasca specializes in luxury Made in Italy footwear. The brand carefully selects the workshops that make its shoes and boots, only working with artisans in the famed Marche region. Maintaining a close working relationship with each of them ensures that standards are meticulously high and there is full transparency over the entire supply chain.
Velasca’s range spans everything from formal Oxfords and slippers through to relaxed moccasins and Chelsea boots, with each pair crafted by hand using top-end calf leather and suede.
Edward Green
Edward Green Piccadilly Leather Penny Loafers
Edward Green Chelsea Cap-Toe Burnished-Leather Oxford Shoes
Based in Northampton and founded in 1890, Edward Green is a British shoemaker of outstanding reputation, most notably for the classic styles.
Green only makes about 250 shoes per week, given the amount of work that goes into every pair, and is especially lauded for its high-end loafers – namely the Piccadilly and Belgravia styles, which are handcrafted using some of the finest French calf leather you’ll ever find.
Berluti
Berluti Blake Whole-Cut Venezia Leather Oxford Shoes
Berluti Leather Chelsea Boots
Although it morphed into a fully-fledged luxury fashion brand not all that long ago, French marque Berluti has not forgotten its significant shoemaking heritage.
Renowned for its exceptional leather-making ever since it was founded by Italian Alessandro Berluti in 1895, Berluti was the place to go for exceptional shoes and was renowned for its wholecut Oxford made out of a single piece of leather (its gradient tanning is still peerless, too).
Joseph Cheaney & Sons
Joseph Cheaney & Sons Harry Tassel Loafer
Joseph Cheaney & Sons Winchester D Capped Oxford
Founded in 1886 in Northamptonshire (and still in the same factory it has been in since 1900), Joseph Cheaney & Sons can be counted as British shoemaking royalty, although at one point was wholly owned by Prada.
Now in the hands of two brothers committed to continuing the artisanal handcrafted legacy, Cheaney is making strides with an array of classic styles spearheaded by its peerless Oxford brogues.
Church’s
Church’s Grafton 173 Derby Brogues
Church’s Dubai Polished-Leather Oxford Shoes
Although a legacy British shoemaker, founded in Northamptonshire in 1873, Church’s is now under the Prada umbrella, a move that has not taken away any of the cachet for craftsmanship that made Church’s name and reputation over the decades.
While its Oxfords and brogues are exemplary iterations of the classics, Church’s ‘urban crossover’ styles replete with chunky soles are surprisingly on trend for such a heritage brand.
Gaziano Girling
Gaziano Girling Hayes
Gaziano Girling Bletchley
Gaziano & Girling is a bespoke and made-to-order shoemaker specializing in classic styles. Tony Gaziano and Dean Girling are the men behind the magic, and together they have created one of the most revered shoemakers in the world by mixing Italian lines and comfort with British craft and tradition.
They only select the very best French or Swiss calf leather and have it finished by the finest Italian leather finishing houses to achieve something close to footwear perfection. The burnished leather ‘Hayes’ is about as sexy as a shoe gets.
George Cleverley
George Cleverley George Full-Grain Leather Penny Loafers
George Cleverley Archie Leather Derby Shoes
Father and son team George Glasgow Sr and Jr have positioned themselves as one of the world’s top shoemakers through sheer dedication to their craft. Cleverley’s prowess is in its bespoke experience, which is second to none.
There’s a beautiful nostalgia to its shoe styles, especially the slip-ons such as the single-buckle Ashford and Chesterfield or the tasseled Bexleys. If you’ve got the pockets for bespoke, Cleverley’s shoes will be friends for life.
Tricker’s
Tricker’s Burford Derby Boot
Tricker’s Stow Full-Grain Leather Brogue Boots
Royal Warrant holder Tricker’s is another of the Northampton heritage brands plying a very fine trade in handmade shoes, priding itself on the 260+ processes that go into making every one.
But it’s perhaps Tricker’s outstanding reputation for boots that should be singularly recognized, especially its peerless Stow Derby ankle boot with its sleek yet rugged aesthetic and ornate brogueing, or its timeless Burford Derby boot with its minimalist styling.
John Lobb
John Lobb Skye Lace-Up Leather Ankle Boots
John Lobb Lopez Suede Penny Loafers
Luxury bespoke British shoemaker John Lobb has been doing its bit for the ‘entente cordial’ ever since 1976 when Hermès acquired Lobb’s Paris workshop and boutique. That means that all of the brand’s custom orders are handmade in Paris, while the ready-to-wear collections are made in Northamptonshire.
Either way, Lobb makes incredible classic shoes but has also expanded into lo-fi contemporary sneakers with sleek minimalist styling.
Grenson
Grenson Brady Boot
Grenson Fred Brogue Boot
Another of the Northamptonshire elite branch of shoemakers, Grenson’s pedigree stretches back to 1876. Today, it’s probably best known for its epic boot and brogue styles, as well as an on-point contemporary sneaker collection.
If brogue boots with a countryside aesthetic are your thing, then there are few better brands to consider. If you prefer a more military-leaning aesthetic, Grenson has also got you covered with some stunning chunky styles for a rugged urban look.
Santoni
Santoni Suede Monk-Strap Loafers
Santoni Suede Penny Loafers
Handmade Italian shoes don’t get much better than those that come out of the Santoni workshop. Founded by Andrea Santoni in 1975, the business is still family-run to this day, guaranteeing the same handcrafted expertise it made its name for.
While the brand makes excellent examples of all the timeless styles, it’s perhaps best known for its double buckles, especially in loafer form. More recently it has pushed the design envelope when it comes to sneakers and hybrids so if your style can be defined as ‘classic with a twist’, you’ll find plenty to get excited about.
Salvatore Ferragamo
Salvatore Ferragamo Calf Leather Oxford Shoes
Salvatore Ferragamo Cube Eco Logo-Debossed Leather Sneakers
Perhaps the patriarch of Italian shoemakers, Salvatore Ferragamo was the one who won over early 20th-century Hollywood with his comfortable shoe designs, while the company is probably best known now for its women’s pumps and ballet flats.
However, its men’s shoes are artisanal gold, especially the Oxfords. The shoemaker’s intertwining with fashion and ready-to-wear has also made it more forward-thinking than others, allowing it to develop modern twists on the classics, such as its chunky-soled Derbies and eclectic sneaker range.
Stefano Bemer
Stefano Bemer Penny loafer C1330
Stefano Bemer Semi-Brogued Captoe Oxford in Replica Russian Reindeer T6620
The late Stefano Bemer was a shoemaking maverick. Although he sadly passed away in 2012, his spirit lives on in his handmade, bespoke Florentine brand. Bemer also produces ready-to-wear shoes of the very highest quality, divided into Traditional, Classic and Essential collections on a sliding scale of formality.
It’s difficult to say what type of shoe the brand is best known for because honestly, nothing that Bemer produces is anything short of exceptional and a tribute to handcrafted footwear.
J.M. Weston
J.M. Weston Plateau Full-Grain Leather Derby Shoes
J.M. Weston 180 The Moccasin Burnished-Leather Penny Loafers
Ever since it was founded in Limoges in 1891 (all of its shoes are still made there), J.M. Weston has been at the forefront of luxury shoemaking. Using a unique ancestral tanning process alongside traditional artisanal techniques, J.M. Weston’s reputation for immaculate footwear is among the best.
Weston’s relaxed Derby styles are perfect to bookend business-casual outfits, but its Chelsea and Jodhpur boots are truly a thing to behold.
Maison Corthay
Maison Corthay Arca Boucle
Maison Corthay Arca
Founded in 1990 by Pierre Corthay, his eponymous luxury shoemaking marque has made waves for its exceptional handcrafted shoes. Moreover, it has found a niche for itself in developing unique patinas. Put simply: you’ll find colors at Corthay that you won’t find anywhere else.
In 2008, Corthay was awarded the title of Master of Art by the French Ministry of Culture, which tells you all you need to know about his level of craftsmanship. His Derbies, Oxfords and monk straps perfectly combine the traditional with the avant-garde, so if you’re after a pair of shoes that will make a statement, this luxury Parisian label should be your first port of call.
Tod’s
TOD’S Gommino Suede Driving Shoes
TOD’S City Gommino Leather Driving Shoes
Tod’s is more than just a footwear company, it’s an Italian business institution and can be regarded as singlehandedly putting the driving moccasin on the modern menswear map.
Founded by the enigmatic Diego Della Valle, who expanded his grandfather’s basement shoemaking workshop into a global behemoth, today the brand is most widely recognized for its aforementioned Gommino driving shoe, cut in suede and calf leather and coming in the full kaleidoscope of colors.
Driving shoes aside, Tod’s also produces a tonne of luxury sneakers influenced by bold retro styling.
Baudoin & Lange
Baudoin & Lange Sagan Classic Plain
Baudoin & Lange Sagan Stride Plain
Baudoin & Lange is very new on the scene compared to most on this list, but the small yet perfectly formed East London shoemaker quickly developed its niche and the reputation soon followed.
It was founded by former Apple exec Allan Baudoin, who was joined by former financier and race car driver Bo van Langeveld, both of whom had a shared passion for traditional sartorial handicraft. They struck upon the idea of reinventing the Belgian loafer for a smart contemporary audience who valued comfort as much as class, and hence the ‘Sagan’ was born.
Cut from the softest natural hides imaginable, the ‘Sagan’ slip-ons feel like slippers. The perfect smart summer shoe? It would be hard to argue otherwise.