CNES Shoemaker’s MTO program is quite extensive despite the fact that they keep it pretty quiet. But lately, they are starting to show more and more of their MTO requests on their Instagram account, which always helps to provide inspiration. If only they would start adding those same photos to the website so that people could understand what kinds of options they have at their disposal.
A lot of people might confuse Made to Order for having to create something unique. But it is really not the case. It can be as simple as choosing a stock color and simply updating the sole or even just the last. But in the case of a company like CNES where they offer nearly every shoe construction under the sun, one could even simply make a bologna style into a Hand Welt or vice versa. Or you can go wild and create completely new models they have never shown before, which seems to be the case with the black loafer with the red piping, as shown in the photos.
The beauty of MTO is that the limits are really only in your mind. And I know that it is easy to state. I often find myself stuck when wanting to make an MTM suit, and often simply going for the same thing I always do. Lately, I have been trying to branch out and try new things. I know that this also happens in shoes, especially when there are million-and-one options to choose from.
CNES Shoemaker doesn’t seem to put a lot of emphasis on their MTO program but the more I see MTO make-ups the more I see just how vast the options really are. For example, this simple jodhpur boot is not shown on their RTW lineup, but they made it for a customer as an MTO. CNES is also a larger company than most realize, and they have an operation in Vietnam that focuses on the local market but whose models shown are available for order. This really opens up your options and I imagine the models you see here but not represented on the site, are a part of that flexibility.
Vietnam, where the factory is, is also a great source of exotic leather where a lot of exotic skins actually come from. On top of that, CNES also does patina (or hand-coloring) of the shoes. These two things also greatly enhance the number of options you have to choose from despite only showing a few models in exotic leather and/or patina. So try not to think of CNES as only a RTW brand. They have way more MTO offering than you are led to believe 😉
Learn more: https://www.cnes.co/
****CNES Shoemaker is a sponsor of this blog and you can consider this a sponsored post****
How do I go about placing an order for some of these shoes that are on display ?
by clicking the link at the bottom of the posts’s writing and contacting the shoemaker directly