Our Designers: Shoe Artistry

Shoe Artistry

"Bringing Hong Kong's shoe craftsmanship into the new era."

Leather options hanging on the feature wall of Shoe Artistry's workshop.

Wooden shoe molds.

Some of these artisans have more than 30 years of shoemaking experience.

Artisans "making an art piece".

"We realized what inspired us most and pushed us forward throughout the design journey was our own culture," revealed founders Kit Lee and Jeff Wan. They decided to launch Shoe Artistry last year to show people "the essence and beauties waiting to be explored" in Hong Kong and Singapore - where they frequently travel to and from. The duo designs their own products and collaborates with local craftsmen to produce their items. "We want customers to know the good story and the good cause behind Shoe Artistry".

Shoe Artistry's designs are unlike anything we've ever seen. Excellent service and perfectly fitted shoes? That's something we can't resist here at ZAOZAO!

Read on to learn more.

Hi Kit and Jeff, what were the both of you doing before Shoe Artistry?

Kit: I started out as a fashion studio assistant for a wholesale company in Singapore. I was assisting my boss - the Creative Director of the company. I worked 7 jobs before starting up Shoe Artistry.

Jeff: My first job was in furniture design, working with Matthew Hilton. It was such a valuable experience and I've learnt the British way of putting aesthetics, comfort and lifestyle into furniture design. Besides my passion in design objects, I am also involved in design research and design education. Shoe Artistry is a project combining both passion and experience from Kit and I.

What interested you about bespoke leather shoes?

Jeff: We like the fact that every pair of bespoke shoes is handmade and styled individually for each pair of feet- for comfort, style and practical need. We don't get this kind of service nowadays. Watching the whole process of "sifu" (shoemaking master) make a pair of shoes is the same as watching an artist making an art piece, they are both works of art, and the beauties of human touch are what we are missing in Hong Kong. So we decided to keep this valuable heritage by bringing Hong Kong's shoe craftsmanship into a new era. Moreover, we know there is a huge space for us to inject our creativity into this old trade. It's going to be fun!

Tell us about the local artisans Shoe Artistry works with.

Jeff: "Kong Suk" (Uncle Kong) is the key shoemaker who works for Shoe Artistry and we have other freelance shoemakers helping us from their home or basement workshops, like  Uncle "Fat Dog" and Mr. Cheung. "Kong Suk" is over 60 years old and has more than 30 years of shoemaking experience. He represents the Hong Kong craftsmen from the 60s - very focused, straightforward, humble, with excellent and flexible skills. But each shoemaker has their own speciality, Uncle "Fat Dog" is very good with making the upper part of the shoes and Mr. Cheung specializes in paper patterns. "Kong Suk" is just great and all-rounded. Our worry is that their skills will grow old with them and no younger shoemaker can pick up the crafts before they disappear. Shoe Artistry is actually open for passionate young people to come and learn the craft.

What kind of experience can customers expect at your workshop?

Jeff: We will measure customers' feet to guarantee comfort and discuss the design they are looking for. Customers can select leather in our workshop i.e. cowhide, cordovan (goatskin), patterned leather, printed leather and exotic leather in different colors. Customized details are fun things to do on customized shoes. We will work with customers to fulfill their special requirements. These are the things that can create a personal touch and make the whole experience different.

How can a customer tell if a shoe was actually customized?

Jeff: We know many bespoke or custom shoe shops that will take your measurements but have your shoes made by size in their factories. This is what we consider a "fake" customized process because the "by size in the factory"process cannot take care of customers' unique shapes of their left and right feet. A pair of "real" customized shoes should perfectly fit each individual customers' feet and include at least one fitting process (hand-altered if necessary). We guarantee customers will be able to witness this process in our Shoe Artistry workshop in Mongkok. We proudly make each pair of customized leather shoes by hand in Hong Kong. Hope to see everybody soon!

Sneak peek of what you'll be able to find on ZAOZAO:

Classic bespoke shoes with a twist!

To pre-order a pair, be sure to visit our site once we launch!

Shoe Artistry has launched a social initiative to educate the public about preserving local heritage and sustaining unique craftsmanship. Visit Shoe Artistry's Facebook or website for more information about their workshops and apprenticeships.