An Interview with Shoemaker Mr. Jin

Mr. Jin comes from Jiangxing, Zhejiang Province, China, he is the contestant of 2021 China Shoemaking Championship. Let us have a read of his story and journey in this trade.

Could you introduce yourself a bit?

I am 32 years old (in 2021), love to study things quietly.

When did you meet handmade shoes?

It was 2013 when I came across handmade dress shoes, and it was the masterpiece of WANG Yunsheng from Shanghai, a wholecut Oxford with lovely patina.

I was attracted by its simple streamline and had a new understanding of dress shoes.

How did you change from loving this thing to making this thing?

Ever since I fell in love with this article, I got used to visiting workshop and communicate with craftsmen.

How did you learn shoemaking?

At the end of 2013, I made the determination to drop then job and got introduction from Mr. WANG Yunsheng, became the apprentice of Mr. GU Xiaodong learning basic of shoemaking.

Thanks to social media, I learned many skills and details from Japanese and bespoke shoemakers from other countries. In which, Yohei Fukuda is my favourite.

根岸貴之, the founder of 小笠原制靴 teaches his skills without any hide.

How do you describe your shoes?

After so many years training in this trade, I am good at pattern making, upper stitching and patina for dress shoes.

Where do you think you can improve?

My taste about classic dress shoes needs to elevate.

What is your plan for this business?

Focusing on this thing and build a workshop.

Do you have some bottleneck in need of help?

It is all good now.

What is most important for a pair of bespoke shoes and how to achieve it?

I think it is the conversion from measurements of feet to last, then the line, and of course the making. The only way to improve is by practice.

Why do you join this contest?

I want to expand my knowledge about handmade shoes and this industry, then know where my skill ranks.

Remark

Mr. Jin is a very quiet man, and he was running a shoe factory with hundreds of employees, today, he came back to be a bespoke shoemaker, which is the real love for shoemaking.