Nick was asked by Wallpaper* Magazine to to shoot and edit a micro-documentary of bespoke shoe maker, designer and craftsman, Masaru Okuyama. Okuyama is based in Hong Kong, and works from a small atelier in Wanchai.
A graduate of the Nihon University College of Art, and a protégé of Japanese shoemaker Chihiro Yamaguchi. He meticulously measures a clients’ feet, fashions each wooden last by hand, and cuts several pairs of trial shoes, finessing until the fit is just right.
“No two people’s feet are exactly alike. Even our own two feet are not identical in length and width. When shoes are made to the exact measurements of each individual foot, there is no need to compromise on the comfort of one foot over the other. After all, your foot is as unique as your fingerprints.” The whole process can take up to six months.
The video, along with a series of photographs and full profile, was used as part of an online promotion in Wallpaper’s “Stylefile” collection in conjunction with Tudor Watch: www.wallpaper.com/stylefile
