The World Shoemaking Championship, in which Daniel Wigan won first place (as mentioned on the previous page), will also be exhibited at the ISETAN Shoe Fair. We spoke to the organizers about the details.





The "World Championship in Shoemaking," which was first held in 2018, was conceived and executed by Jesper Ingewaldsson, who runs the Swedish web media "Shoegazing."

Originally a journalist, Jesper's interest in men's attire began after he purchased a classic wool coat, and he quickly launched a website dedicated to men's style. Soon after, his encounter with Loake shoes led him to explore the world of men's footwear, and he founded "Shoe Gazing."

When he decided to start his shoemaking championship, he had in mind the kind of competitions from the good old days.
"I've seen many shoes from contests over 100 years ago, both in photographs and in person. In the early 20th century, shoe contests were major events, and many shoemakers submitted wonderful shoes. I wanted to return to that era."

This is what Jesper said. He also said that he wanted more people to know about handmade shoes and understand that they are meaningful in the modern world. Therefore, he said that being able to exhibit the top performers in various countries around the world was a great achievement.

The first competition featured a black cap-toe oxford shoe as the required shoe, and 30 shoemakers from around the world submitted their creations. The second competition featured a brown full brogue oxford, and attracted 40 participants, exceeding the number from the previous competition.

"I was pleased to hear from the participants that creating the championship shoes made them better shoemakers. That also means they've created value that their future customers will enjoy."

Currently, in addition to the shoemaking championship, they also hold shoe polishing and coloring championships simultaneously. "The shoe polishing championship appeals to people who aren't shoe enthusiasts, so I think the combination of the three competitions is very effective," says Jesper. He also expressed further ambition to hold an artistic shoemaking championship in the future.




1st DANIEL WEGAN

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The second annual shoemaking championship featured a brown full brogue oxford as the challenge. The winner was Daniel Wigan, who came in second last year. The slender and dynamic silhouette is eye-catching, but what is particularly noteworthy is the upper's closure (stitching), which is sewn by hand by Mr. Wigan, with 21 stitches per inch, which is finer than what is typically achieved by a sewing machine.




2nd Christophe Corthay

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Like Mr. Wigan, this is his second time submitting an entry. While his previous work was extremely artistic, this time he built his design on an authentic style, incorporating his own unique aesthetic sense into the details, which helped him climb the rankings. The shape of the heel, which seems to follow the curves of the upper, and the orange coloring placed throughout the shoe, speak volumes about his individuality.




3rd EIJI MURATA

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"It's so precise, it's as if it were made by a computer or a 3D printer," Jesper commented, describing the work of a Japanese shoemaker. While the last silhouette and style are more authentic than the previous two works, the details are incredibly delicate. The smoothly finished stacked heels and flawless lines create a sense of "stillness" in the shoe.

Event Information

Top entries from the World Shoemaking Championship were exhibited at ISETAN Shoe Fair 2019.
On the evening of Wednesday, September 11th, a talk show will be held featuring Jesper Ingerwaldsson, editor-in-chief of "shoegazing," and the top three contestants.