The Best Custom Men's Shoes And The Different Custom-Made Footwear Services (2024)

1. Idrese Custom Shoes

Arguably, Idrese is quite different from the other brands featured on this site. However, it illustrates the diversity of the custom-made market. When Jawad Malik founded Idrese, his endeavor was to create an affordable but high-quality experience.

As a result, you can purchase your own pair of Spanish-made, Goodyear-welted shoes for less than $300. Crafted from full-grain leather, Idrese shoes are produced in Almansa, Spain, and you use Idrese’s website to design and customize your own shoe.

Although it’s a digital made-to-order process, there is a wide range of sizes and widths, which will cater to most people. For those with smaller budgets who want to taste the luxury of ordering a custom shoe, it’s a great place to start!

Read More:Idrese Brand Guide

2. Gaziano Girling, England

Having worked with premium English shoe makers including Joseph Cheaney, Cleverley, and Edward Green both Tony Gaziano and Dean Girling have over 25 years of experience in the industry. In 2006, they founded their own brand, which is based in Kettering near Northampton, England.

Today, Gaziano Girling produces some of the most exclusive and exquisite benchmade shoes. Furthermore, they offer a range of services including bespoke, made-to-order, and ready-to-wear shoes.

For bespoke shoes, clients should expect between 12 to 16 months until the shoes are ready. Meanwhile, a pair of made-to-order shoes will take between 3 to 4 months.

Read More:Gaziano Girling Brand Guide

3. George Cleverley, England

Founded in 1958 by George Cleverley, his titular store remains a family business in London today and is managed by George Glasgow Snr and George Glasgow Jr. Unlike most English shoemakers, George Cleverley is one of the few remaining brands that continues to craft its handmade shoes in London.

Their services range from a ready-to-wear design starting at around $500 to entirely personalized and handmade shoes from approximately $5,000. The process for the latter will take between 9 to 12 months with the fitting taking place after 6 or 8 months.

Meanwhile, a made-to-order style can cost as little as $900 while made-to-measure shoes using an adjusted last start at $1,900. Both of these options may take between 4 to 6 months to complete.

Interestingly, George Cleverley is a renowned brand with a history in Hollywood. Most famously, they provided the shoes worn in both Kingsman films as well as the 2019 Elton John biopic, Rocketman.

4. Antonio Meccariello, Italy

A lesser-known but exceedingly talented Italian craftsman, Antonio Meccariello was born into shoemaking. Two years after launching Kiton in partnership with Ciro Paone and Antonio de Matteis, he sold his shares in order to focus on his own workshop and customers.

There are a number of ready-to-wear and made-to-order ranges with different constructions and pricing. For instance, should you choose the Goodyear Argentum line, it is available in both ready-to-wear and made-to-order. For the latter, you can expect a turnaround time of between 18 to 20 weeks.

We were particularly impressed by Meccariello’s made-to-order service, which can be easily completed online thanks to an interactive design tool.

5. Aubercy, France

A family business with a history tracing back to 1935, Aubercy is today run by the founders’ grandson, Xavier. Every shoe is crafted using a hand-sewn welt to create sleek and elegant footwear.

Their ready-to-wear collections start at around $1,200 and can be customized using their “commande spéciale” service. Otherwise, their made-to-measure shoes use modified lasts from $1,700. Lastly, the higher end of their handmade style offering involves creating new lasts from scratch and starts at $5,550.

6. The Last Shoemaker

The Last Shoemaker is actually a duo that consists of Scotsman Allan Donnelly and US-born Yorkshireman Payson Muller. They teamed up after meeting at Steven Lowe and Dominic Casey’s bespoke shoe last making course at Lastmaker House.

It’s Payson that focuses on the last-making whereas Allan’s specialty is the design and crafting of the uppers. Payson will then hand-sew the soles before clients get to try the shoes.

The Last Shoemaker offers a variety of services from ready-to-wear shoes to customizable made-to-order footwear as well as more premium options. The duo also has other interesting offerings such as their sleek minimalist “barefoot shoes” and even the opportunity to recycle your old (leather) sofa into footwear!

Although they operate from their workshop just outside of York, Allan and Payson also frequently attend trunk shows throughout the USA.

7. Stefano Bemer, Italy

Stefano Bemer founded his company and workshop in 1983. His high level of quality and refined footwear soon garnered quite a reputation in Florence and abroad.

Additionally, he was known as an excellent mentor and trained many talented shoemakers in his craft as well as celebrities including Daniel Day-Lewis. Sadly, Bemer passed away in 2012. However, the company was picked up by Tommaso Melani who continues to carry his vision onwards and upwards.

Firstly, their made-to-order shoes start at an affordable price of around $750 and the process takes between 8 to 10 weeks. Their entry Blue service, which offers customers a much more tailor-made pair of shoes, starts at $3,000 and can take about 5 months if only a single refitting is necessary.

Finally, Stefano Bemer still offers exclusive training and workshops for keen shoe enthusiasts. Thanks to their courses, you can start as an apprentice and work all the way up to their “maestro” level.

8. László Vass, Hungary

Starting as a traditional Austro-Hungarian shoemaker, Vass first opened his shop in 1978. As he garnered a reputation for his immaculate craftsmanship, he began venturing into more contemporary designs.

In 1999, Vass received critical acclaim and international recognition when he released his book,Handmade Shoes For Men. Having established a veritable identity, László Vass is now considered one of the best craftsmen who specialize in exotic leathers and unique designs.

9. John Lobb, France

Firstly, it’s important to distinguish between John Lobb Ltd and John Lobb SAS. In 1866, John Lobb first opened his London shop where he would produce exclusive footwear for European royalty. Thanks to its enormous success, he launched a Paris boutique in 1901.

In 1976, the Paris shop was acquired by the Hermès group with permission to keep the name. Meanwhile, the London shop continues to be owned and operated by the Lobb family. Additionally, the London shop only produces custom-fit shoes while the Paris store has also ventured into the ready-to-wear market.

Although John Lobb in Paris was acquired by Hermès, it is not their exclusive supplier for leather. While their exotic skins are supplied by Hermès, others are sourced through their own special references.

John Lobb’s Goodyear-welted ready-to-wear collection is crafted in Northampton, England. Meanwhile, options such as made-to-measure and above are made in their own Paris workshop.

As they are handmade, they aren’t constructed using a Goodyear welt but can be crafted using a dizzying array of stitch types that are selected by the client.

Finally, the process for made-to-order shoes will take around 4 months and costs only a 208€ supplement to the ready-to-wear base model’s price.

10. Yohei f*ckada, Japan

Trained in London by John Lobb, Gaziano Girling, and George Cleverley, Yohei f*ckuda now works exclusively for The Armoury, the celebrated international haberdashery from Hong Kong.

His made-to-order service is also available in their boutique in New York. However, the premium custom-made service is only available in The Armoury’s Hong Kong stores.