Singapore Super Trunk Show 2026 – Recap
Last weekend marked the first-ever Singapore Super Trunk Show, and it delivered on every front. Strong attendance, a fantastic atmosphere, packed stage programming—including the Asian Championships of Shoe Shining—and an exhibition floor buzzing all day long. Below is a recap of the event, along with highlights from the show.
Bringing Super Trunk Show to Asia
For those unfamiliar, the organizing group behind Super Trunk Show consists of Jesper Ingevaldsson of Shoegazing, Justin FitzPatrick of The Shoe Snob, and Kirby Allison of Kirby Allison and his famous Youtube Channel. We’ve had plans to bring Super Trunk Show to Asia for quite some time, but like many things, those plans were put on hold during the pandemic.
With the U.S. edition postponed, it took a bit longer than expected for the Asian event to finally come together—but last week, it happened.
With invaluable support from the team at CNES, based in Singapore, we secured a fantastic central venue: The Warehouse on River Promenade. The space featured high ceilings, an open exhibition hall, a large stage area, a coffee and drinks corner, and two additional rooms in the back used for workshops and smaller presentations.
In total, we brought together 19 exhibitors, spanning quality men’s footwear and menswear.
Attendance & Atmosphere
When doors opened at 11:00 a.m., things started slowly—enough to make us a bit nervous. Locals quickly reassured us that Singaporeans tend to arrive after lunch, and they were absolutely right.
While it’s hard to give an exact number, we estimate that close to 1,000 visitors passed through during the day. Around 20% traveled in from elsewhere in Asia, which was very much in line with what we had hoped for. The energy throughout the day was excellent, and it was clear how much the local audience appreciated having an event of this scale on home soil.
Stage Sessions & Talks
We continued the 15-minute stage sessions held at the top of every hour, a format first introduced in New York last autumn—and once again, it proved to be a hit.
Highlights included:
- Ash Samsudin of Métier Sol demonstrating fingertip shoe shining
- Affan Mohamed of Bridlen discussing how a shoe factory operates
- Yuya Hasegawa of Brift H teaching a fast mirror-shine technique
- A panel discussion on the Asian quality shoe industry featuring Alan Lee of CNES and Emil Rahmana Putra of Winson / Midas
The shorter format encourages interaction, and these sessions consistently drew engaged audiences and thoughtful questions.
Shoe Shine Masterclasses with Saphir
In collaboration with Saphir, Ash Samsudin also led three Shoe Shine Masterclasses throughout the day. Participants brought their own shoes and worked with Saphir products under the guidance of a former World Champion shoe shiner.
Even those not formally enrolled in the sessions gathered around to observe and absorb shoe care knowledge—something we always love to see.
Asian Championships of Shoe Shining
The centerpiece of the day was the inaugural Asian Championships of Shoe Shining.
Given that every World Champion since the competition’s launch in 2017 has come from Asia, expectations were high—and the final did not disappoint. Competing live on stage were:
- Naoki Hayashida (Japan)
- Tyler Tran (Vietnam)
- Niko Cho (Singapore)
Each finalist had 20 minutes and two different Saphir Médaille d’Or wax polishes to achieve the best possible shine on a Bridlen Oxford. The results were exceptional across the board.
After an extended jury deliberation, Tyler Tran was crowned Asian Champion, with Niko Cho taking silver and Naoki Hayashida earning bronze.
Exhibition Floor & Sponsors
The exhibition hall itself was a large, open space. Toward the center, a lounge area featured complimentary drinks from Old Moon Spirits, while That One Coffee served excellent coffee and tea throughout the day.
The front portion of the hall followed the same floating table setup used at our London events—no tables separating exhibitors from visitors—creating a more open, conversational atmosphere. The two largest spaces were reserved for our Platinum Sponsors.
Platinum Sponsors
Saphir Médaille d’Or, widely regarded as the world’s leading premium shoe care brand, showcased a full range of products available for purchase. Their team spent considerable time explaining how different products work and what results can be achieved—especially helpful for visitors exploring Saphir’s more specialized offerings.
Bridlen, the Indian shoe manufacturer, once again brought something new. This time, they unveiled a collaboration with Japanese patina artist Craft Infinity, featuring shoes finished with traditional Japanese dyes. One standout was a silver metallic patina with an impressively natural appearance—far removed from the synthetic look metallic finishes often have. These models will be available for pre-order soon.
Gold Sponsors
Sanyo Yamacho represented Japan as a Gold Sponsor, continuing their reputation for refined, Goodyear-welted footwear with excellent finishing and attention to detail.
CNES, one of Vietnam’s largest quality footwear manufacturers, showcased an impressive range spanning hand-welted, Goodyear-welted, Blake constructions, and more. Their updated display—emphasizing pride in Vietnamese shoemaking—was particularly well received.
Silver Exhibitors & Brands
A strong lineup of Silver exhibitors rounded out the show, including footwear brands Fumu, Ichigo Ichie, Johnny Works, Oct Tenth, Renav Goods, Twinkima.G, The Last Shoemaker, Winson, and Yearn, with Yeossal presenting both shoes and clothing.
On the clothing side, Camps de Luca, Common Suits, and The Compendium were present. Idé Homme showcased their socks, while Shinki Hikaku displayed Shell Cordovan leathers and leather accessories.
A sincere thank you to everyone who helped make the Singapore Super Trunk Show 2026 such a success—from exhibitors and sponsors to speakers, competitors, and attendees.
And yes—we fully intend to return next year.
We hope you enjoyed the Singapore Super Trunk Show recap and look forward to seeing everyone next year!
Read more about our other Super Trunk Shows here.
I did a big photo dump on my Patreon for those who wish to see more content via imagery
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
Shop · Marketplace · J.FitzPatrick · Patreon
From the venue to the large number in attendance, and all of the work-shops and lectures, this may have been the best Trunk Show yet. Well, from what I could tell. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Arthur, it truly was a good one!