Art and Sole - Carréducker

Find Bespoke Shoemaker Carréducker at the Gentleman's Emporium at No. 1 Savile Row

James Ducker and Deborah Carré are the full names behind the shoemaker carréducker. Both served four years of apprenticeship to a master shoemaker at John Lobb. Deborah was apprenticed as a scholar of the highly commendable Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust. In 2004, they founded carréducker.

They follow the traditions of handsewn English shoemaking and very much see themselves as the guardians of the trade. As James says, "We are passionate about the traditions of shoemaking, and in this respect we run intensive shoemaking courses three times a year in London and New York - and we also write a weekly blog about the craft. It is a specialist blog and mainly consists of short tutorials on specific aspects of shoemaking." That passion is being recognised, Deborah was winner of the Leather Category of the Balwennie Master of Craft awards.

Allied to this passion for traditional craftsmanship, carréducker also adds a contemporary design ethos to their shoes. Styles range from the classics of the English wardrobe (The Mayfair Collection) to more contemporary models which concentrate on colour, texture, proportion, a mix of materials, and idiosyncratic design details. They design every pair for each client on the last, so how traditional or contemporary you go is entirely up to you.

Bespoke Shoes Versus Ready-to-Wear

At carréducker a foam impression is taken of the customer's feet at the measuring stage. This means that the shape of the sole of the last reflects the shape of the feet and how weight is distributed. In this way, the shoes can give the feet all the support they need. James believes that this is the Damascene moment for a person new to bespoke shoes, "Once a customer has had a well-fitting pair of bespoke it is hard for them to go back to ready-to-wear where that level of fit cannot be achieved."

"Our bespoke shoes are handsewn so they can be repaired time-and-time again over the years. They are a sustainable choice because of this durability and the traditional way in which they are made."

James describes the follow-up process after the shoes have been made. "Once we have made the shoes and delivered them, we follow up with the client one month later to check that all is well. It is only by breaking in and then wearing the shoes for a while that the customer gets a real feel for the fit. Sometimes at this stage we need to make further slight adjustments to perfect the fit for the customer."

Interested? I bet your feet are. Stay tuned for a Q & A session with carréducker coming very soon.