Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
* HOW THIS BESPOKE SHOEMAKER MEASURES FEET youtube.com/watch?v=KPM_46qMFEA
* Learn more about the man: franciswaplinger.com
* Bespoke is one of these 10 ways to get the most comfortable boots: stridewise.com/most-comfortable-boots
* I turned invasive pests into sick leather bags and belts: badleathergoods.com
* Related: So You Want To Be a Bootmaker youtube.com/watch?v=USXvvq1K7Gw
* Oxford, derby, wingtip? My glossary of business shoes youtube.com/watch?v=bYb-js0n_wc
There are many ways of making a comfortable shoe, but none can surpass bespoke: a shoe you not only design, but for which the entire last is made. Matching your individual foot precisely in a way no mass market shoe can, Francis Waplinger makes bespoke shoes in Brooklyn and was kind enough to answer all our questions about what the process is like for the customer and the shoemaker.
00:00 Intro
01:00 What kind of customers does a bespoke shoemaker get?
02:19 How long does it take to get bespoke shoes made?
03:47 How long does it take to make a second pair for the same guy?
04:22 How does a small shoemaker find customers?
05:03 Bespoke vs custom shoes
07:14 Handmade vs handcrafted shoes
08:01 How to help a customer decide on a shoe
09:11 What you like vs what you'll wear
09:52 How Francis designs his shoes
12:43 European vs American shoes
16:01 The best and worst parts of being a shoemaker
17:02 Will bespoke shoes last for your lifetime?
18:05 Why you shouldn't wear the same shoes every day
19:14 Women's bespoke shoes
20:04 Would you use synthetic materials?
21:27 Bespoke vegan shoes
22:40 What a bespoke shoemaker will refuse to do
24:27 How to become a bespoke shoemaker
Full article: stridewise.com/francis-waplinger-shoemaker-interview
* HOW THIS BESPOKE SHOEMAKER MEASURES FEET youtube.com/watch?v=KPM_46qMFEA
* Learn more about the man: franciswaplinger.com
* Bespoke is one of these 10 ways to get the most comfortable boots: stridewise.com/most-comfortable-boots
* I turned invasive pests into sick leather bags and belts: badleathergoods.com
* Related: So You Want To Be a Bootmaker youtube.com/watch?v=USXvvq1K7Gw
* Oxford, derby, wingtip? My glossary of business shoes youtube.com/watch?v=bYb-js0n_wc
There are many ways of making a comfortable shoe, but none can surpass bespoke: a shoe you not only design, but for which the entire last is made. Matching your individual foot precisely in a way no mass market shoe can, Francis Waplinger makes bespoke shoes in Brooklyn and was kind enough to answer all our questions about what the process is like for the customer and the shoemaker.
00:00 Intro
01:00 What kind of customers does a bespoke shoemaker get?
02:19 How long does it take to get bespoke shoes made?
03:47 How long does it take to make a second pair for the same guy?
04:22 How does a small shoemaker find customers?
05:03 Bespoke vs custom shoes
07:14 Handmade vs handcrafted shoes
08:01 How to help a customer decide on a shoe
09:11 What you like vs what you'll wear
09:52 How Francis designs his shoes
12:43 European vs American shoes
16:01 The best and worst parts of being a shoemaker
17:02 Will bespoke shoes last for your lifetime?
18:05 Why you shouldn't wear the same shoes every day
19:14 Women's bespoke shoes
20:04 Would you use synthetic materials?
21:27 Bespoke vegan shoes
22:40 What a bespoke shoemaker will refuse to do
24:27 How to become a bespoke shoemaker
Full article: stridewise.com/francis-waplinger-shoemaker-interview
