Shoes Brought Us Together

All photos by Nawaphon P.

Panel discussions are always fun, and my first one on the subject of classic menswear and classic shoes certainly was.

About a fortnight ago (mid-November 2019), The Decorum Bangkok put together a symposium on classic shoes to launch the travelling exhibit of winning works from the World Championships in Shoemaking which took place earlier this year in London. You can read more about the three winning works in this post by Shoegazing, the lead organiser of the global championships.

The panel was moderated by Sirapol (Guy) Ridhiprasart, co-owner of The Decorum Bangkok. It featured Gary Tok, author of Master Shoemakers: The Art and Soul of Bespoke Shoes and member of the competition jury, Naoki Terashima, Kyoto-based shoeshine artisan and winner of the All Japan Shoeshine Competition 2019, and Kongdej Sittisuporn, third-generation owner of Thai shoemaker Three Shoes who trained at Stefano Bemer in Florence.

As a friend of The Decorum, I was invited to join the panel as the consumer representative, as Guy thought it would be fun to have a non-industry voice as part of the mix.

Gary had just returned from Singapore where he moderated a similarly-styled panel hosted by Mason & Smith, a shoeshine bar and shoes repair shop by John Chung, winner of the World Championships in Shoeshining in 2018. A full video of the Singapore panel discussion is posted on the IGTV feed of Mason & Smith's Instagram profile.

I do not think there is a full video from the Bangkok panel, so here is a brief summary of highlights I recall from each panelist.

Gary spoke about how bespoke shoes often round up the long-term sartorial journey of a well-dressed man. Many of us are likely to start our experimentations with the suit, next comes the shirt, and then perhaps accessories like ties and pocket squares. Bespoke shoes have widely been regarded as the climax or pinnacle of a man's sartorial exploration, some sort of a final frontier.

It has also often been mentioned that once a man enters the realm of bespoke shoes, there is no turning back as he begins to appreciate the beauty and indescribable feel of well-fitted shoes.

Gary also cautioned that when shoes customisations go wrong, they can go really really wrong. Unlike in the case of a badly-cut jacket which might not drape perfectly or cause light discomfort, any slight margin of error in bespoke shoemaking can have grave impact, as our feet support our entire frame and take us through all of our life's trials and tribulations.

Kongdej of Three Shoes introduced his family's legacy as Thailand's pioneer shoemakers, who began constructing Italian-inspired leather shoes since the mid 1970s. As the third-generation owner of his family business, Kongdej travelled to Florence to enhance his skills under the guidance of the Stefano Bemer team.

He spoke about the evolution of the classic shoes scene in Thailand, and the recent resurgence of consumer interest in artisanal craftsmanship and high quality hand-welted shoes. His company continues to spread awareness among the local community on the benefits of investing in good shoes as well as engaging the right expertise for shoes repair and maintenance.

Japanese champion shoeshiner Naoki was asked how he stumbled upon his craft and how he established such great success in a few short years.

As a teenager, he was inspired by how his dad, who is a chef, took such great care of his kitchen knives. While playing baseball in school, his baseball gloves were damaged and soiled. Rather than throw them out, he attempted to repair and clean his gloves. This positive experience and sense of achievement spurred him towards taking greater care of and reviving different items, including shoes.

Naoki started his career shining shoes on the streets of Kyoto while in university. His early experiences were a bittersweet mix - balancing the satisfaction of having appreciative customers and the stress of dealing with the police. This young man has come a long way and has ambitious plans. Definitely one to watch.

When the mic was passed to me, I spoke about starting from zero about a year ago, after being ‘poisoned‘ and having my eyes (and wallet) open to an exciting new world of sartorial possibilities.

Getting into this game relatively late in life, I have noticed that the most passionate classic menswear enthusiasts tend to be those in their twenties.

It is the younger ones who are acquiring (and sharing) deep knowledge about fabrics, silhouettes, cuts, construction and more. Being slighter older, I am amazed and truly appreciative that people half my age are giving me pointers on how to dress more appropriately and achieve greater comfort in a more permanent and timeless style.

My personal experience has also taught me that it's never too late to work towards a new and improved version of yourself.

But I also tell my younger friends - why wait till you are in your forties? Keep yourself in top form, stop chasing trends, f_ck fast fashion, don't just go for brand names. Stop buying and throwing; start investing in items you know you will treasure for the decades to come.