How Much Does a Bespoke Shoe Cost?

In today’s world, individuality is becoming increasingly important – especially when it comes to clothing and, of course, footwear. When speaking about truly individual shoes, one inevitably arrives at the top tier of the footwear world: bespoke shoes. The effort involved in crafting such a pair is widely known to be considerable – and this naturally raises the question of price.

You’ll find a wide range of prices on the internet, from a few hundred euros to several thousand. But such information should always be taken with a grain of salt. To evaluate a price realistically, it’s essential to understand the many variables that can influence it. Below, we’ve outlined a number of relevant factors that play a key role in determining the price of a bespoke shoe.

What Influences the Price of a Bespoke Shoe?

• Where are the shoes made – in Germany or other countries with similarly high labor costs, or in low-wage countries (which also exist within Europe)?
• Is it true craftsmanship from a manufacture, or more of an industrial process with heavy reliance on machines such as lasting machines or Goodyear welting machines? Specifically: is the shoe hand-welted or machine-welted? And is the outsole stitching done entirely by hand – or using industrial machinery?
• What kind of materials are used – especially in areas that aren’t immediately visible? For example: Is high-grade leather used for the insole and heel counter – or are cost-saving substitutes like leatherboard, as commonly found in industrial production, applied?
• Is the shoe entirely made in-house, or are parts of the process – such as upper construction – outsourced to low-cost regions?
• Is the brand behind the shoe a genuine manufacture or craft business, or merely a distribution platform with a private label and outsourced contract manufacturing (often in countries with lower wage levels)?
• Are there technical refinements or innovations unique to this maker that justify a premium price – such as rare materials, exclusive features, or exceptional construction techniques?
• Is it truly bespoke work? In other words: are the lasts custom-shaped for the client and is the footbed individually made to measure?
• How advanced is the anatomical or orthopedic knowledge of the manufacturer? A bespoke shoe doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with foot problems – but the maker should possess in-depth expertise in this field and have a solid understanding of foot anatomy.

All of these aspects are listed here without judgment. Combined in various ways, they can lead to price points that are entirely realistic – or, in some cases, simply implausible.

What Is a Realistic Price?

Based on our decades of experience in footwear engineering and traditional shoemaking, we can say this: for a pair of classic, handcrafted bespoke shoes (requiring 40 hours of work or more), prices in Germany start at around €3,000. Such a shoe is lasted over a custom-shaped last, hand-welted, with outsole stitching done by hand, and equipped with leather heel counters, a leather insole, and a stacked leather heel – a true piece of craftsmanship, created by masters of the trade with deep manufacturing knowledge.

If a shoe is offered well below this price, it’s safe to assume it is made in a more industrialized manner and in a low-cost country. That’s not inherently negative – and we don’t intend to suggest otherwise. Our aim is to raise awareness: a genuinely handcrafted bespoke shoe requires high-grade materials, extensive expertise throughout the process, and many hours of meticulous work. All of this justifies a higher price – and in the end, the customer knows they are wearing something truly exceptional and one of a kind.