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It all started with a need: my flip-flops, which I regularly wear at home, were torn. I took it as a sign to treat myself to leather clogs that I could wear around the house. You probably know the Dway models from Dior & Onran from Hermès. I want something in a similar style but more beautiful, low-key, and comfortable.
I contacted my usual Vietnamese leathercraftman, but he told me to wait 2–3 days so he could look into it. Then he came back saying he couldn’t do it because he didn’t have the right leather, glue, etc. I had to reach out to two other artisans before being referred to a Vietnamese artisan who specializes in luxury shoe and bag repairs. Through repairing luxury shoes, he developed the skills to make custom leather sandals. I generated an image using ChatGPT to show him my idea, and we agreed on the color and leather to be used.
The outer sole is made from vegetable-tanned leather sourced from Italy. It’s extremely thick and expensive (because vegetable tanning, especially for shoe soles, is costly).
Here, you see leather welts hand-cut by the artisan himself. He could have bought them pre-made, but they would have been less refined.
He glues the welt to each sole, then cuts and polishes it. He told me this step is very painful, as despite wearing protection, micro-dust particles still get into the nose, lungs, eyes…
The insole is made in much the same way, then covered with beautiful leather. A thin foam layer can be added or not, to enhance comfort.
He adds a metal piece to the sole for increased durability. With the same base, we could also make sandals with a 4–5cm heel.
Here are the outer soles he made for me:
Everything is then glued together and placed in this machine, which apparently activates the thermal glue and ensures all the elements are properly bonded.
And here is the final result. The leather used is novo nappa, and the stitching was done by hand, of course. I could have chosen crocodile, lizard, etc., but for a first pair, I preferred to go with a simple, easy-to-wear leather. He added an extra layer under the insole for comfort. To get the same pair, expect to pay €153.
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