I have a friend who like me, once ventured outside of the US to go and study shoemaking (among other things, such as be with his wife…also like me). That adventure landed him in Germany, where he is currently residing and continuing to perfect his craft and skills, in the hopes (of which will occur) of becoming a bespoke shoemaker who offers lovely shoes to people around the world. On occasion, he gets a chance to pop over to London, of which he will usually stop in to have a chat, only this time, he brought a pair of shoes for me to also shine. While he is hard critic on himself (as one should be to become great) and feels that he is still far off from becoming a credited maker who could offer shoes to clients for purchase, I on the other hand, believe that he is not far off. The hardest part in shoemaking is what is called ‘finishing’ the shoe, i.e. making the sole and heel area look flawless, and it is something that takes a long time to perfect. And while he still has some work to do before it’s tip top, I think that his progression is very good and wanted to show all of you, as I thought that some of you might appreciate it as well…..
