I recently came across this Blazing Wonders tarsal brogue and was blown away. It was a shoe made after my own heart. It has all of the qualities that I like: Two-tone in nature, blue and grey combo (one of my favorite colors paired), is a tarsal brogue, and lastly, has unique details that separate it from the rest. Apparently, the owner shares my sentiments. You know what they say about great minds 😉
I cannot say I know a lot about Blazing Wonders, though. My extent of knowledge with regard to their brand is limited to their Instagram page and a ton of beautiful shoes in photos. What I have always admired is their ability to make nearly anything. The collection is apparently infinite. Yet sadly, without an actual website and limited time to research Google, I cannot say that I really know the brand and how to acquire them outside of an IG DM. But, being that the owner of this Blazing Wonders Tarsal Brogue probably just reached out as such, it would appear to be quite straightforward to get a pair. He did say that the owner/shoemaker (?), Helen, was very easy to work with.
I love the subtle design quirks that you find on this custom Blazing Wonders tarsal brogue:
- The pique in the facing is a fun detail piece
- The shape of the balmoral line (under the facing leading to the bottom quarter) is very curvaceous and is different than your standard line.
- The way they stopped the brogueing for a small section of that same piece of leather, so as not to overcrowd the brogueing was a smart touch
- The separation between the leather pieces is ever so slightly larger than most tarsal brogues, accentuating the contrast in the pattern and materials used. Also very clever.
Details like the above are what separate good shoemakers from great, in my very humble opinion. Good to see Blazing Wonders was thinking about these things!
Learn more here: https://www.instagram.com/bwshoesfactory/?hl=en
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
Shop · Marketplace · J.FitzPatrick · Patreon
That is great. Thanks for pointing out the details.
Justin-Thanks for featuring these shoes on your blog. I am honored. I’ve had conversations with Blazing Wonders about their choice to be IG only and forgo a traditional website. They like flying under the radar and feel that IG does enough to feature their brand. That being said, they really are easy to work woth via IG DM. Helen is very responsive and provides the best customer service (not always the case w internet only brands). They really can make anything, you just have to ask. You can share a picture or just an idea and for $70 USD, they will create a new pattern. They do have a published price list, just ask. And they have two grade levels of their shoes with the base starting at ~$500 USD. They fall into the same category as other chinese makers such as OCT10, Yearn and TwinkimaG.
As for these tarsal brogues, again, I shared a photo and from there we collaborated on suede and patina choices to arrive at this final outcome. They arrived two days ago and they look even nicer in person. They fit my shoe personality perfectly. I can’t wait to wear them outside.