Shoe blogger Claymoor recently conducted an interview with Yohei Fukuda, a Japanese master cordwainer who received his training in custom shoemaking under famed British companies such as Edward Green and Cleverley. After reading it, I was inspired to visit Mr. Fukuda’s website, where most of the pictures below are drawn from. As you can see, many of his designs are “suspiciously square,” though he seems to do a number of rounded lasts as well. In addition, waists are often made into fiddlebacks or beveled, heel cups are gently curved, and the welting is of course all hand sewn.
According to the interview, Mr. Fukuda is looking to do trunk shows sometime in the future. If he does, let’s hope he makes it Stateside (and to more places than New York City, which to my constant despair, seems to be the only place that often attracts renowned craftsmen and tailors from around the world).
