13 Best Shoemakers & Brands in the World

There comes a time in every man’s life when buying off-the-rack won’t do. Enter: bespoke footwear. Also known as ‘custom’ or ‘made-to-order’, the world of bespoke footwear can be a tricky one to navigate, particularly with so many different types of men’s shoes to choose from. The true bespoke process involves a custom shoemaker getting to know you and your style, and having an in-depth discussion about exactly what kind of shoes to make, customisable right down to the toe shape. This truly bespoke experience can leave you waiting months or even years for your shoes.

Lately, the bespoke title has also been given to companies that offer pre-designed styles and make them to order based on your measurements. These can be produced in a shorter time frame and typically cost a fraction of their truly bespoke counterparts.

Best Shoemakers & Brands in the World at a Glance

The shoemakers worth your money, from English heritage houses to Neapolitan bespoke and a local option.

• Best overall: John Lobb. Traditional English shoemaking, handcrafted from premium leather on a resoleable Goodyear welt, and the long-preferred maker of Charles, Prince of Wales.
• Best first bespoke pair: Carmina. A wide range of lasts built around different foot shapes, plus Goodyear welting that allows a resole every few years, makes this the ideal bespoke entry point.
• Best for value: Loake. Factory-made but with handcrafted elements and a resoleable Goodyear welt, it is an affordable, high-quality introduction to the world of custom shoes.
• Best for a fast turnaround: Paolo Scafora. Plastic lasts instead of wood let these handmade bespoke shoes be produced in just weeks, far quicker than traditional bespoke.
• Best for Australian buyers: Andrew McDonald. Formerly of John Lobb in London and Hermès in Paris, he brings traditional European bespoke shoemaking to Australia with a local sensibility.

Now that you’ve read our favourites, let’s check out the complete list.

Whether you favour the traditional approach of the English, the sleek, distinctly European silhouettes of the Italian, or the emerging Spanish and Australian markets, we’ve got something for everyone. To help you put your best foot forward, here is a list of the 13 best shoemakers in the world.

Best Shoemakers & Brands in the World

1. John Lobb

Likely the most infamous shoemaker on this list, John Lobb founded his eponymous bespoke footwear company in 1866 and has been in the business since 1849. John Lobb operates independently in England and as part of the Hermès group in Paris. Known for their traditional English shoemaking style, John Lobb shoemakers handcraft each pair from premium leather and feature a Goodyear welt (allowing for resoling). Perhaps best known as the preferred shoemaker of Charles, Prince of Wales (who still sports a pair of John Lobb oxfords from the 70s), a pair of bespoke John Lobb shoes is a timeless investment piece.

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Founder: John Lobb
Founded: 1849, Basingstoke, United Kingdom
Parent organisation: Hermès

2. George Cleverley

A tale of three Georges: George Cleverley is currently headed by George Glasgow Snr and George Glasgow Jnr, who inherited the company from the eponymous creator himself. With workshops across England, George Cleverley’s clientele range from David Beckham to Winston Churchill. The illustrious shoemaker uses resoleable Goodyear welting and offers all classic footwear options, as well as more contemporary styles like monk strap brogues.

The reason to look at Cleverley now is the ready-to-wear collection. Each style draws on the house’s bespoke lasts and is made by hand with the same leathers, construction and finishing as commissioned work, so you get the Cleverley shape without waiting on a commission. If you want the full bespoke process without flying to London, trunk shows in the United States and Asia take your measurements and transpose them onto a wooden last. The Mayfair workshop still cuts and finishes every pair.

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Founder: George Cleverley
Founded: 1958, Mayfair, United Kingdom

3. Carmina

Founded in Spain in 1866, Carmina has steadily expanded worldwide while retaining its fastidious production style. With fifteen lasts designed to accommodate various foot shapes and aesthetics, and Goodyear welt stitching that allows resoling every few years, Carmina is an ideal entry-level bespoke footwear option.

Read the product page before you buy a Carmina loafer. The brown Funchal horsebit loafer is Blake-stitched, not Goodyear-welted. It is built on the Xim last, a rounded moccasin last with generous toe room. That is a different construction from the welted oxfords our copy describes, so check the stitching on every style if resoling matters to you. Every pair is still cut, stitched and finished by hand in the fifth-generation family workshop in Inca, and the range now includes Chelsea and chukka boots.

Headquarters: Mallorca, Spain
Founder: Matías Pujadas
Founded: 1866, Mallorca, Spain

4. Andrew McDonald

Australia doesn’t have much of a market for bespoke shoes; however, Andrew McDonald didn’t let that stop him from bringing them to our shores anyway. Formerly of  John Lobb in London and Hermès in Paris, McDonald imbues traditional European shoemaking with a uniquely Australian sensibility, making quality bespoke footwear wearable down under.

You no longer need a full bespoke commission to wear McDonald’s work. The Strand Arcade workshop sells ready-to-wear business shoes for men and women, and much of the range is cut on wide-fit lasts. That makes it the first stop on this list for broad feet that want a local fitting. Shoes are made with either a Goodyear welt or Blake stitch, and every pair comes with full repair and after-sales service. That matters more than it sounds when your maker is in the Sydney CBD rather than London.

Founded: 1999
Founder: Andrew McDonald
Located in: Sydney, Australia

5. Crockett & Jones

Founded in England in the 19th century by Charles Jones and Sir James Crockett, Crockett & Jones remains owned and operated by the fourth generation of the original founding families. Using Goodyear welting and an eight-stage construction process, Crockett & Jones shoes are made to last. Though their offerings are traditional, they’ve retained their appeal, with Daniel Craig’s James Bond wearing them in Skyfall and Spectre.

Headquarters: Northampton, United Kingdom
Founded: 1879
Founders: Sir James Crockett, Charles Jones, James Crockett
Subsidiary: Crockett And Jones USA, Inc.

6. Edward Green

The eponymous label was established in Northampton, England, in 1890 by a former shoemaker’s apprentice. To maintain their high quality, Edward Green produces just 250 pairs of shoes a week, utilising the hallmarks of traditional English shoemaking: Goodyear welts, full-grain leather, and hand-cut patterns.

Headquarters location: Troy, New York, United States
Founder: Edward Green
Founded: 1890

7. J.M. Weston

French label J.M. Weston was founded in 1891 by Édouard Blanchard, and its production has remained centred in its workshop in Limoges to this day. J.M. Weston owns its own tannery, allowing them to retain control of almost the whole production process. Like many shoemakers on this list, they use Goodyear welt construction, allowing their footwear to last decades with resoling. The French label blends traditional English shoemaking with a Gallic approach; the result is footwear that feels less traditional and more contemporary.

Founder: Édouard Blanchard
Founded: 1891
Headquarters: Limoges, France

8. Buchanan Bespoke

Based in Glasgow, the Scottish brand has been making quality footwear since 1925. Buchanan Bespoke infuses its footwear with Scottish charm, and its bespoke shoes allow an individualised selection of leather and tartan.

Founded: 1925
Headquarters: Glasgow, Scotland

9. Berluti

The French fashion house was founded in Paris in 1895 by Italian Alessandro Berluti as a maker of bespoke footwear, and has since expanded to accessories and ready-to-wear from 2005 onwards. However, Berluti’s bespoke shoes remain the essence of the house; entirely handmade and customisable, Berluti footwear is still produced in its Parisian workshops. Renowned for unique lace-up shoes made from a single piece of leather with no visible stitching, Berluti shoes are loved by many, with an esteemed clientele that includes Andy Warhol and Jean Cocteau.

Headquarters location: Paris, France
Founder: Alessandro Berluti
Founded: 1895
Subsidiaries: Société Nouvelle de Chemiserie Arnys, Anthony Delos
Parent organisation: LVMH

10. Paolo Scafora

Paolo Scafora established his eponymous brand in Naples, Italy, in 1956, and his grandson currently runs the company. Originally producing ready-to-wear footwear, Paolo Scafora has been offering bespoke shoes for the past decade. The handmade shoes utilise plastic lasts rather than wood, allowing them to be produced relatively quickly, in just four to six weeks.

First-time buyers should start with Scafora’s Fitting Pair, a service set up for anyone buying from the house for the first time. It is a sensible first step if you are ordering to Australia rather than walking into the Naples workshop. The house also runs its own resoling service, and the range now goes beyond oxfords, derbies, monk straps and loafers into boots and sneakers. If you want Neapolitan handwork with a dedicated ready-to-wear line, compare it with Antonio Meccariello.

Headquarters location: Naples, Italy
Founder: Gennaro Scafora
Founded: 1956

11. Loake

Founded in Northamptonshire, England, in 1880 by three brothers, Loake has stood the test of time, blending contemporary options with its classic range. Though not bespoke, Loake are a high-quality, affordable introduction into the world of custom shoes. Although factory-made, Loake shoes still incorporate some handcrafted elements and use a Goodyear welt, allowing them to be resoled.

Headquarters location: Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
Founders: Thomas Loake, William Loake, John Loake
Founded: 1880

12. Ludwig Reiter

Viennese heritage shoemaker Ludwig Reiter has been producing bespoke shoes since 1885, adopting the Goodyear welting technique in the early 1900s. Ludwig Reiter creates high-quality footwear in the Viennese style, with elements of traditional English shoemaking. In recent years, they’ve expanded into modern ready-to-wear styles like sneakers and have collaborated with designers like Helmut Lang.

Headquarters location: Vienna, Austria
Founders: Ludwig Reiter I, Anna Reiter
Founded: 1885

13. Antonio Meccariello

One of the few newer shoemakers on this list, the eponymous Italian brand Antonio Meccariello has produced bespoke shoes since 2012. With a family history in shoemaking and a prior collaboration with Mariano Rubinacci, Meccariello personally consults and fits his clients in his showroom just outside Naples, Italy. In addition to bespoke service, Antonio Meccariello offers a ready-to-wear range that’s a good starting point for budget-conscious shoe lovers.

Meccariello’s ready-to-wear now has a name: Argentum, a hand-welted line sold alongside made-to-order styles. It runs from the Decurion Balmoral oxford and Cornelius cap-toe to the Miles saddle loafer in anil box calf and the Tribune chukka in reverse suede. Leathers come from tanneries including Annonay, Du Puy and Ilcea, and the family workshop is in Airola, just outside Naples. It is the hand-welted alternative to Paolo Scafora for a first Neapolitan pair.

Headquarters location: Napoli, Italy
Founder: Antonio Meccariello

Things to Consider When Choosing Shoemakers & Brands in the World

Five things decide whether a pair lasts ten winters or one.

• Construction: A welted shoe has its sole stitched on, so a cobbler can replace it many times over. A glued sole is lighter and flexible from day one, but once it wears through, the shoe is usually finished.
• Leather: Full-grain leather creases, takes polish and develops character as it ages. Corrected or coated leather looks glossy in the shop and cracks along the flex lines within a season or two.
• Fit: Every maker cuts its shoes on its own lasts, so your usual size at one house can be half a size out at another. Try them late in the day when your feet are at their widest, and check that the heel holds without slipping.
• Break-in: Stiff leather soles and heavy welts can take weeks of short wears before they feel right. If you need comfort straight out of the box, a softer unlined or glued shoe will suit you better.
• Aftercare: Find out whether the maker offers a factory resole service, because a resole on the original last keeps the shape true. Cedar shoe trees and a regular polish matter as much as the brand you buy.

How Man of Many Chose the Best Shoemakers & Brands in the World

Our editorial team has worn, broken in and resoled good shoes for a long time and that first-hand experience is the starting point for this list. We paired it with independent research and a close read of customer reviews to see how each maker’s shoes hold up after the first season. When ranking, our editors weighed construction method, leather quality, fit and last shape, repairability, consistency across the range and value against rivals at the same price. You can review our editorial policy here for more on how we maintain our independence.

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Shoemakers and Brands FAQs

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