For those not in the know, CNES shoemaker is a Vietnamese based company with shoes produced in Vietnam and distribution there as well as in Singapore. Traditionally they are goodyear welted producers but I recently saw a picture that would indicate a new handwelted range, soon coming. Apparently they have been around since 1994 but only recently have hit they worldwide map and now seem to be doing things very very differently, which inevitably caught my eye.
The model in question that blew me away, as shown here, really epitomizes the idea of using creativing in shoe design. Everything they have done here from the design to the leather choice is top notch. And bold. I love the white, perforated leather. That was a bold move but very cool. And not mention, extremely unique.
Again my ideas seem to be changing on what I like as this aggressive point, from the top of the eyelet area to the vamp, really catches my attention in a good way, whereas in the past I might not have liked such a strong peak design. But looking at it, it really plays well with the shape and pattern of the model.
The desgin reminds me of something from 40’s & 50’s America where spectator models were all the rage. Just imagine that most men owned a pair. Incredible times for menswear. Now one in a million own a spectator shoe. Lets see if models like this, and ideas like CNES have can help to change this. Here’s to hoping!
Their website is in Vietnamese but if you want to see more of them check out their IG page below.
where can you fine these shoe in the San Fran or the LA area
It is a hobby of mine to purchase handmade custom shoes. I love to find cool shoe designs and create custom shoes specifically to my foot. I have three pairs now and have made these around the world where I have lived and traveled. I love to wear these shoes and really have enjoyed the experience of designing and making these shoes.
I went to CNES and had a HORRIBLE experience. I would not recommend them.
I was traveling to Ho Chi Minh quite often over the last year, so I searched out CNES, given the excellent reviews they had on line. In summary, it was a horrible experience, and I wasted ~USD700. While the staff was friendly and the design was very cool, they could not make the shoe to the correct measurements.
I visited CNES store over four different times. The first time was to choose the shoe design and measure my foot — they were confident they could make the shoe design to my foot measurements. On the second visit (5 weeks later) I tried on the shoe… the fit was so bad CNES has to throw this pair away and start over. The third visit (about 6 weeks later) I tried on the new shoe… it was still too tight, though better. The staff said they could fix the shoe. So, I came back a 4th time on my last trip to Ho Chi Minh.. and the shoe was STILL not fitting correctly. Given this was my last scheduled trip to Vietnam, and I had to pay most of the price of the shoe on the first visit (AND they refused to refund my money!!!) I finally had to take the shoes with me. I have been trying to stretch the shoes for the last couple of months, and still are too tight to wear.
What a disappointment. I would never recommend CNES. What a waste of money.
I am sorry to hear of your tough time with them. I am pretty that they franchise the brand so the ones in Vietnam wont be the same as the ones in Singapore, which are the ones that I dealt with