Lusting for leather? Soye, as you might expect from an establishment in the 798 Art District, offers a whole range of visually arresting leather wares, from Oxford brogues to handbags. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, talk to store employees and have them help create exactly what you do want, from a pair of two-tone brogues for a special occasion to that wallet from Pulp Fiction, an option which will cost you upwards of ¥1,000.
For the foot fetishists, head straight to Lao Yu Handmade Shoes, situated at 37 Gulou Dong Dajie. Lao Yu, a wildly popular, yet unassuming cobbler with 30 years’ experience, is something of a purist when it comes to the handmade aspect of his brand, and as such refuses to do wedges or high heels, as to do so would require using machines to create the necessary parts. He generally charges between ¥600-1,800 for a pair, depending on leather quantity, quality and general pattern, and can make copies of shoes if you bring him the original pair or a photograph of what you want. He generally takes three weeks to come up with the finished article, including one fitting session.
The cobblers at Lianshengge at 92 Xisi Bei Dajie have 20 years’ experience in shoemaking and are the choice of many a well-shod Beijing resident. While they will copy pairs of shoes you bring in, or recreate a pair from a picture, they can’t promise an exact duplication. Though they claim you’ll have to wait three weeks for your order, they have been known to process an order in as short a time as 10 days. Depending on leather quality and the amount needed to make the shoes, you’ll be looking at shelling out roughly ¥800-5,000 per pair.
If, however, you want the look of fancy designer shoes without having to cash out your life savings, try 72 Hang Handicraft Shoe Studio in the Silk Market. With 30 years’ shoemaking experience, their craftsmen specialize in making look-alike famous brand shoes, so bring a picture of your dream pair of Manolo Blahniks and get started on your fancy shoe collection. Prices will, of course, vary appropriately with your haggling prowess, as well as the amount of leather and work required, and a pair will take around 20 days to complete.
