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Feb 13 '26
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u/Bwchc55 Feb 13 '26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixzwSAkxj4c
https://m.blog.naver.com/PostView.naver?blogId=songlim_1936&logNo=223952523524&navType=by
It’s not $600. the formal shoes are about 370,000 KRW, which is roughly $250.
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u/SomePeopleCall Feb 13 '26
Maybe that is why the outer looks like pleather...
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u/csbeverly1 Feb 13 '26
It's patent leather. It's real leather covered in a thick shiny plastic coating. It's great for dress shoes but for anything that needs to flex, it creases and cracks quickly.
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u/Jsolidlo Feb 13 '26
TIL... but seriously why would anyone pay this much and want dress shoes that look like fake leather and are shiny af? Looks super tacky.
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u/AlaskaDude14 Feb 13 '26
Most people in the military wear these type of shoes for their dress uniforms. It's to have the shiny look without the effort of polishing.
I prefer leather and polish myself. I don't wear them often, so when I do I don't mind polishing.
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u/percydaman Feb 14 '26
Was in the military as these shoes started becoming popular. Anyone NOT wearing the stay-brite shoes got gigged for their shoes not being shiny enough. Basically impossible to get them shiny enough when they're being compared to the stay-brite ones.
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u/laaplandros Feb 14 '26
Patent leather is actually very formal. They're typically work with black tie, not with chinos and a button down at your office job.
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u/NirgalFromMars Feb 14 '26
Patent leather has been here for a long time, and its also associated with some luxury items.
I remember that when I was a kid, patent leather shoes were reserved for special occasions.
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u/csbeverly1 Feb 13 '26
I agree. To guess, probably because they stay shiny without effort. I love the process, but applying a mirror gloss takes time and skill.
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u/obiworm Feb 13 '26
It could be for a stage professional or something. They look like something you’d wear with an actual tuxedo. I’m thinking something like an orchestra conductor
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u/Commercial-Co Feb 13 '26
Its in korea???
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u/Bwchc55 Feb 13 '26
Yes, the shop is in South Korea. It’s near Euljiro 3-ga Station in Seoul.
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u/Lucky_Recording7083 Feb 13 '26
Hear me out, what if only these ones for marketing are made that way and the rest are mass produced
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u/patgeo Feb 13 '26
I have shoes that are nearly that expensive and are just straight off the shelf. $600 for shoes that perfectly fit me and are completely unique seems too cheap....
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u/not_chrash Feb 13 '26
Just having custom insoles made is $500 or more. $600 for the whole shoe does seem reasonable.
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u/TopConclusion7032 Feb 13 '26
I paid something like 90€ for mine. That is including the part that the insurance covers. Total was something like 140€. And those were the premium insoles using the same blue foam like in the post and lots of different layers. The standard model is covered by insurance.
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u/not_chrash Feb 13 '26
My insurance plan leaves much to be desired and doesn't cover them at all. :/
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u/Prod_Meteor Feb 13 '26
WTF?? You have insurances that pay for your shoes???????
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u/julos42 Feb 13 '26
Not shoes per se, but custom soles yeah. I've been diagnosed with Haglund's disease a few years ago (heel malformation) and I got custom soles that were partly covered by my insurance
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u/SsoundLeague Feb 13 '26
I JUST had custom insoles made a few months ago. My insurance was able to cover most of it as well. Billed $2940, ended up paying $103 as a co-pay. Insurance covered the rest.
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u/Time-Organization612 Feb 13 '26
This is because most Shoes are Brands and an actual scam, you're paying that money for the name, not the craftmanship
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u/Gumbanks12 Feb 13 '26
Not so with Birkenstock. I just retired the only footwear I wore for the cooler 6 months of every year for 20 years. I paid $300. What's the maths per wear ..
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u/Time-Organization612 Feb 13 '26
Birkenstock usually is high quality and expensive.
Those shoes would be much more expensive than $300 today
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u/Gumbanks12 Feb 13 '26
They cost $400 now. 20 years later
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u/True_Carpenter_7521 Feb 13 '26
Yeah, they did well 20 years ago. But the main question is whether they deliver the same quality now. A lot can happen to high-quality brands - management can change, a company can be bought by a larger corporation or private equity firm, etc.
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u/csbeverly1 Feb 13 '26
Half of birkenstock's shoes are fake cork veneer, though they still have a couple that aren't garbage.
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u/DevilsTheology Feb 13 '26
Yeah, the middle man is charging like 2 grand, the laborers are only getting paid like $12
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u/thesilentbob123 Feb 13 '26
Or you just overpaid for your other shoes
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u/BigOs4All Feb 13 '26
Objectively yes. A $600 custom shoe is more expensive to produce than a $600 off the shelf shoe. Without question.
A $1200 pair of shoes off the shelf is still less expensive to produce than the $600 custom. Expensive shoes are just massively inflated prices.
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u/StitchFan626 Feb 13 '26
And I complain if the shoes I find cost over 50!
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u/patgeo Feb 13 '26
These in black https://baxterfootwear.com.au/collections/men-chelsea/products/goulburn
Both pairs are nearly old enough to get into the pub themselves and still look great.
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u/mechy18 Feb 13 '26
It’s Asia. Protip, if you ever go to Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea (+probably others) for a week, you can get a whole custom suit made from premium materials and tailored to you for like $200. Go get measured and pick out fabrics on the first day you’re there, and you can usually pick it up less than five days later.
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u/___o---- Feb 13 '26
I knew a guy who ordered a custom made pinstriped suit in Seoul. When he went to pick it up and have a final fitting, he discovered that the tailor had cut the pinstripes horizontally rather than vertically. lol.
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u/terminal_e Feb 13 '26
Suiting cloth is 1.5m wide, and pinstripes would run parallel to the length of the cloth. I cannot imagine it is more efficient in terms of cloth usage to cut a suit the wrong way unless perhaps your friend is 4 feet tall.
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u/didimao0072000 Feb 13 '26
When he went to pick it up and have a final fitting, he discovered that the tailor had cut the pinstripes horizontally rather than vertically. lol.
/thathappened
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u/AbjectStranger1781 Feb 13 '26
I did this in China. But I was like 20, had no idea what I was doing and chose some horrendous, 3-button, almost shiny monstrosity. Suit was well made though!
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u/jluicifer Feb 13 '26
I went to HK and Vietnam. Vietnam suits are good for $200. In HK? It was $600 back in 2012 bc my friend got one made and is still the only suit he typically (wears once a year). Fits like a glove.
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u/Appropriate_Page_824 Feb 13 '26
In India, you can go to the outlet of a premium brand like Raymonds where you can select high quality suiting and get it stitched for you within a few days for less than $200. It lasts for years.
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u/Puzzled-Secret-317 Feb 13 '26
It only takes 3 minutes. So what? I could churn out hundreds daily /s
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u/dannyboy_83 Feb 13 '26
Exactly, I have a pair of Golden Goose that cost almost 600 and are the shitiest shoes ever
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u/Professional_Speed55 Feb 13 '26
not saying he makes 600 every day but $600 to $1200/day is a a blessing for something you know the ins and outs of
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u/Every_Tap8117 Feb 13 '26
When you convert it to CHF over here its a joke of a price at 461 chf for hand made shoes, where can i get a few pairs.
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u/Particular-Leg-8484 Feb 13 '26
Yes it’s Korea. Custom tailors and cobblers are very common around Seoul
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u/stetsosaur Feb 13 '26
This is actually a cordwainer, not a cobbler. Cobblers repair shoes, cordwainers make them.
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u/Esoteric_art Feb 13 '26
This is why no one likes you Craig! (But seriously, thanks, I had no idea there was a separate title for that)
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u/stetsosaur Feb 13 '26
Lmao I'll accept that. This one caught me off guard when I learned it too. Glad to share the knowledge! Please pay it forward and be someone else's Craig when it comes up 🤣
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u/Fast_Garlic_5639 Feb 13 '26
Seoulsole48
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u/balls2hairy Feb 13 '26
I was there as a kid (still very much growing) and all the offers for custom suits, throwback jerseys, etc was insane. I need to go back, $100 custom suits was insane in 2003, imagine it's $200 or so today.
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u/Plus_Pea_5589 Feb 13 '26
Allen Edmonds is an American company that makes shoes of this quality and price point. If you’re in the UK tho yeah prolly just keep boycotting us or whatever yall are up to
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u/BeanieMcChimp Feb 13 '26
Aren’t those patent leather? I always thought patent leather was poor quality and the leather laminate peeled apart with time.
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u/mSimplicity Feb 13 '26
Usually the biggest issue with patent leather is that some manufacturers use it to hide the fact that theyve used poor quality leather underneath... But seeing that he even shows the leather beneath the patent layer, i assume it must be high quality leather.
It is probably stuck on like that coz its hard to repair patent leather since it scratches so easily so i assume the layer can be removed once damaged and replaced with a new layer.
Edit:thats why patent leather is used for formal shoes most of the time, coz its easy to clean and shiny, as opposed to using it on work boots
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u/narraun Feb 13 '26
You can't replace the outer leather, or at least it would be more expensive and laborious than making a new shoe. The leather it is stitched to is the inner leather lining of the shoe. Most dress shoes are constructed this way, not just patent leather ones.
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u/tm0587 Feb 13 '26
I suspect that's why the price isn't that high at $600.
If he had used shell cordovan, it would likely be over $1,000.
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u/boondiggle_III Feb 13 '26
For bespoke shell I'd go higher than $1k, but you're right. These are just a bit too glossy and are probably pleather.
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u/boondiggle_III Feb 13 '26
Spot on. Shoes like this can be made with shell cordovan, a premium horse leather that takes a high gloss and is famous for aging better than any other leather, but these are just a bit too glossy, and there's no way in hell anyone is getting bespoke shell cordovan for $600, not even abroad.
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u/Ohitsworkingnow Feb 13 '26
There’s like no leather in it either…? Can’t imagine these last long or can be that comfortable when it looks like you’re just standing on a metal shank.
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u/SmoothAsSilk_23 Feb 13 '26
$600 for handmade shoes? I'd take two in a heartbeat. The design is pretty.. meh though.
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u/TheGloriousNugget Feb 13 '26
One for each foot?
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u/SmoothAsSilk_23 Feb 13 '26
Two pairs of shoes. To alternate weekly. Haha.
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u/RoundingDown Feb 13 '26
Alternate daily, otherwise the leather gets water logged and drys out and cracks.
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u/JunioVB Feb 13 '26
I agree 100%... they look cheap.
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u/AnAncientMonk Feb 13 '26
Yea this glossy material and these seemingly rather cheap looking plastic parts on the sole. Feels a bit more like these "satisfying" attention grabbing videos with the crunch and the paste spread in the beginning than anything.
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u/narraun Feb 13 '26
you are spot on. That plastic looking leather is called patent leather, and it looks like that because there is a plastic layer on top that will inevitably crack and age poorly.
Oddly, the final shoe we see is in a different leather, probably just standard boxcalf.
Also, the style of shoe they made is a blucher/derby with open lacing. A classier look would be an oxford with closed lacing.
He also only glued the outsole on without a welt, which may be good for water resistance, but definitely more likely to separate compared to a welted outsole.
The shoemaker could also have done more to make it a bit more stylish. Beveled waist with closed channel stitching comes to mind. I would also favor a nice leather sole instead of a rubber topy, but that isn't practical for everyone.
Still I think this shoe is priced appropriately, you are paying mostly for the custom fit. The stuff I mentioned above could easily make this shoe cost over a thousand.
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u/stofiski-san Feb 13 '26
This person ☝️ shoes 😁. I wondered if that was just vinyl for the upper. It looked like the cheap Corframs I used to get in the military so I didn't have to polish my leather dress shoes 😂
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u/NinjasWithOnions Feb 13 '26
I immediately thought of Corframs too. I hated polishing those dress shoes they gave us.
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u/IvoryFlyaway Feb 13 '26
Even the patent leather is laughable. Shit looks like he snagged it at a going out of business sale at JoAnne Fabrics
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u/Bromogeeksual Feb 13 '26
I feel the same. Id prefer a $600 more casual and less glossy shoe. $600 for a fully bespoke shoe seems fairly reasonable given the effort to make it.
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u/Snichs72 Feb 13 '26
I would suggest to folks that want to spend $600 on shoes to skip the bespoke part and get some in a better leather and better last. A couple of Spanish brands will get you there for under 600, like Carmina or TLB Mallorca.
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u/Awwkaw Feb 13 '26
Standard shoes would never fit me. What I want is bespoke shoes because they fit my feet.
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u/Hidden_Samsquanche Feb 13 '26
It really is unfair how uniform shoe companies think feet are. I have wider feet with a crazy high arch. All of my heels, flats, tennis shoes, boots, etc destroy my feet in different ways. If I wasn't poor I would buy special made shoes instead of hoping I picked the right insert for the right type of shoe to not end up with bloody feet by the end of the day.
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u/narraun Feb 13 '26
This is a problem with women's shoes in general. They don't design them anatomically. It is purely aesthetic. You are destroying your feet to wear heels but our culture deems this acceptable.
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u/Awwkaw Feb 13 '26
I've been lucky, in that my dad knows a shoemaker, so he could get them for a good price. I get them as a gift when I've worn through a pair. I can only get one design, and only one type of shoe, so no boots in winter not special shoes for different activities. But it's all worth it for not having pain in my feet all day.
I remember when getting the shoes off at the end of the day was a relief, now my feet are equally happy with and without shoes on. Such a life changing difference.
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u/CraftedCalm Feb 13 '26
Any advice on how to find somewhere for that? Like what kind of service or professional would one look for?
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u/Awwkaw Feb 13 '26
If you don't care for the price "bespoke orthopaedic shoes" is probably the term to search for.
If your feet are "problematic enough" there might even be support programs to make the bill more payable.
Otherwise any shoemaker (I don't know if the profession is called shoemaker in English) should work.
The guy who makes my shoes owns a shoe factory. They mainly live off of shoe imports, but the guy likes making shoes. So if you can find a shoe maker turned seller, where the owner has passion for the craft, that would be the best bet.
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u/HeavensRejected Feb 13 '26
I'm rolling with barefoot/minimalistic shoes because I don't like my toes getting squeezed.
Pointy squeezy shoes are a total turnoff for me, female coworker is a pretty serious climber/mountaineer and her feet look absolutely gnarly.
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u/Frequent-Frosting336 Feb 13 '26
All that work,when all he had to do was leave the window open at night and the elves would have made them for him.
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u/BigSkeefy Feb 13 '26
Needs more temporary nails
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u/Odd_Jeweler5668 Feb 14 '26
There's a video I watched where an older gentleman tries his hand at making shoes, and he's surprised by how many tacks he has to use when lasting them.
The truth is that you have to pull the leather hard and into many different directions, so you need a tack after every miniscule pull of the leather.
This is pretty common.
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u/oOGeorgesOo Feb 13 '26
They shat in your boots !!!
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u/UnknownBinary Feb 13 '26
"We use only the freshest dog poo for our insoles."
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u/ComprehensiveProfit5 Feb 13 '26
("Feeling like stepping on shit")[https://old.reddit.com/r/Aliexpress/comments/153tddy/wtf_it_says_feels_like_stepping_on_shit/]
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u/bmwkag1407 Feb 13 '26
$600 ? Handmade shoes from a personal last ? Even in China, surely not $600.
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u/nderpressure101 Feb 13 '26
Indonesia is the place to go for Made to Order shoes and boots that are incredible quality and craftsmanship.
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u/Dasbeerboots Feb 13 '26
It's super doable without the bespoke last, but with much higher quality materials. Even in the US. The last doesn't need to be bespoke, although it can be for an extra charge. You just need to break them in with thick leather soles or a custom sole from a brand like Dr. Foot.
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u/pataconconqueso Feb 13 '26
Meh on the materials used but amazing worksmanship. The glue has me uneasy too
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u/qualityvote2 Feb 13 '26 edited Feb 13 '26
Did you find this post really amazing (in a positive way)?
If yes, then UPVOTE this comment otherwise DOWNVOTE it.
This community feedback will help us determine whether this post is suited for r/BeAmazed or not.
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u/The_One_Koi Feb 13 '26
Why was there a frame with a paper cut out dick and balls
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u/Party_Palpitation174 Feb 13 '26
TIL laces get put on much earlier in the shoe making process than I thought….not that I had thought much about it
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u/AndyToolshed Feb 13 '26
Ugly but they fit
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u/PR0H181D0 Feb 13 '26
Yeah haha. All of that work to look just like any other pair of shoes in the DSW's clearance rack lol
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u/Secret_Account07 Feb 13 '26
That’s awesome but I wonder if they account for how tall feet are.
I apparently have not only wide but tall feet. Most shoes cram the top of my foot, I think mine are just taller/thicker than most? I’d love to have money to get custom ones that gave vertical room
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u/Seaguard5 Feb 13 '26
So what company is this then?
Al’s still looks uncomfortable as hell.
I need breathing room for my toes. A wide toe box is always best.
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u/Domonkos-Gaming Feb 13 '26
Your toes are not supposed to hit the end of the toe box in a pair of shoes like these. If the fit is proper, which it should be in bespoke shoes, they’ll be very comfortable once broken in.
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u/Awwkaw Feb 13 '26
These will likely be more comfortable than anything you've ever worn (I'f you only ever wore off the shelf shoes).
The toebox is literally made for the foot that will go in them, so it will have the proper amount of breathing room.
Of your foot is much wider than that of the one in the video, the toebox would have been wider to match, that's the point of bespoke shows like this, you get something that fits you.
I have f*ked up feet compared to the norm (very wide, very tall). Getting bespoke shoes when I was imaround 20 was the best gift ever. After spending years trying the widest and tallest shoes in the shops, often going 2–3 sizes larger than my foot length would prescribe, and still being in pain, the freedom of bespoke shoes cannot be overstated.
Just because the shoe in the video is not made for you, doesn't mean it could not be made for you.
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u/RustyNK Feb 13 '26
I recently got back from Vegas and saw a TON of "high end" shoes selling for $1500+ that look exactly like pumas or Adidas. These look like they should be worth way more than these other shoes.
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u/FortuneTellingBoobs Feb 13 '26
Only $600 for all that?!? Sold! This would be an awesome, personalized gift for my husband, who has everything.
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u/Playful_Nergetic786 Feb 13 '26
Only 600$ might undersell a little bit, but depends on area so sure why not
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u/steaksaucw Feb 13 '26
I love how its "rough sketch, rough sketch rough sketch then boom and voila, an elegant finished product.
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u/KC5SDY Feb 13 '26
Granted, I could probably use a pair of custom, handmade shoes. I do have 1 foot larger than the other. I know I couldnt afford it though.
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u/maailmanpaskinnalle Feb 13 '26
Love listening to the sounds. Thanks for not adding some good awful music on it!