Where to buy luxury custom-made shoes in Hong Kong: sidestep big brands like Ferragamo and Ermenegildo Zegna and stride forward with bespoke leather footwear from Hermes Group’s John Lobb, Stefano Bemer and more

Mar 7 , 2021

Mad Men’s Roger Serling knows the importance of good footwear. Photo: handout

Hong Kong’s historic Kow Hoo Shoe Company has crafted footwear for celebrity clients including Li Ka-shing and former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger

Meanwhile Italian shoemaker Stefano Bemer boasts shoes made from 232-year-old leather discovered in the remains of a Russian cargo ship in Germany

The modern art of shoemaking is said to have originated in the 18th century. But as fashionable footwear flourished in the late 19th century, during the industrial revolution, shoemakers began to focus more on quantity than quality.

Which means that custom-made footwear is today a speciality, a premium service where ideally an artisan shoemaker tunes into your own style and needs. Made-to-measure shoes might be offered by luxury brands from Ferragamo to Ermenegildo Zegna, but as demand for bespoke shoes grows, let’s look at four lesser known custom-made shoe brands in Hong Kong that might fit you just right.

John Lobb

This British shoemaker first opened its flagship boutique in Hong Kong at Landmark in 2018, where you can expect to shell out around HK$10,000 (US$1,300) for a pair.

John Lobb, which is part of Hermès Group, celebrated the 75th anniversary of its William double-buckle by launching the William New Standard in June 2020. This new iteration of the signature shoe is characterised by a new rounded toe and strong silhouette.

Kow Hoo Shoe Company

The Kow Hoo Shoe Company was established in Shanghai in 1928 and moved to Hong Kong in 1946. It is one of the oldest and most respected bespoke shoemakers that still creates customised wooden shoes for individual customers.