One of my best jobs ever was Shoe Buyer for a boutique. That's kind of a "duuuuh" I guess, but seriously, I loved buying shoes for all of us. It didn't hurt that I got lots of free shoes. Or it hurt so good.
Last Thursday, I popped into the grand opening of Chicago's new Stuart Weitzman boutique and was hurled full-force back into that obsessive Shoemania (and this).
In my indominable DIY spirit, my mind wandered to my ultimate wish-list boots, a custom pair of mukluks on Etsy, and I got instantly motivated to climb into the indie craft wormhole and pull out the best Etsy has to offer in the way of handmade shoes.
Here's 9 shops, in alphabetical order, using their own hands to keep your feet looking good:
1. 23 Tribes, Oakland, CA
2. darlingtonia, Northern California
Green and Red Apple Moccasin $129
3. Fairysteps, United Kingdom
4. Hydra Heart, Long Beach, CA
Organic Vegan Mustard Oxford $68
5. LaLa Shoes, Croatia
6. Mohop, Chicago, IL
7. Netamir, Tel Aviv, Israel
8. Spirocreations, Aukland, New Zealand
9. Zerkahloostruh, Massachusetts
Handmade Leather T-Strap Shoes $365
There you go. Pretty heavy on the yellow color-story overall, but I'm feeling it!
What's your take on independent shoes manufacturers? With a couple exceptions, I think the prices are not bad and I love that people are really putting love and craftsmanship into these.
What shoes are on your wish list right now?
