Custom-made Shoes for Men & Women

A secret often shared among expat women in Hong Kong is this fast and relatively inexpensive custom shoe emporium with two locations in Wan Chai's Admiralty Centre. Run by the Chan brothers, whose father was a cobbler, LIII LIII is the place to get the latest footwear fashions measured to your exact width and size and made in the color and fabrics of your choice—and it's especially beloved by tall ladies with larger feet who often have trouble finding size 10 (or up!) in the local shops. Our six-foot-tall editor, Chantal, was tipped off by an even taller German colleague when she lived in HK in 2001, and the pair of black kitten heels she bought are still in respectable shape. The shop's shelves are overflowing with examples of the most popular styles and colors that you can mix and match; you can also request your own custom variation or bring in an example of a favorite design that you'd like replicated. Don't expect high-quality Italian craftsmanship, but the shoes are decent and are fun way to get the style of the season without too much of an investment. (Why not get your new pair made in every color with handbags to match?) Orders take about a week to be completed, and they'll redo them if your kicks don't come back perfect the first time around.

Raymond Massaro has history in his sole. Ever since his grandfather opened this Parisian shoe-making business in 1894, the modest workshop has been turning out footwear for a long list of illustrious clients from fashion kingpins to royalty and movie stars—Kennedy clan members, Marlene Dietrich and Elizabeth Taylor to name just a few. The family has also been a faithful friend of the couture style set, often collaborating with iconic fashion houses. Though Raymond still oversees the business, he recently sold the company to Chanel. These days, you can visit the showroom and consult with a master boot-maker who'll cast a mold of your foot, take measurements and work with you to devise the perfect shoe in the on-premise workshop. It takes about 40 hours of work by the small staff to make a single pair. If only Cinderella had it this good.

Old World sensibility and modern technology come together to create the fine footwear from Otabo, including a special line of elegant golf shoes for men and women. Founder Howard Shaffer has crafted a company committed to forging a personal connection between client and shoemaker, but even as he puts an emphasis on making all the shoes with classic materials, he takes advantage of contemporary design techniques and tools that guarantee every shoe fits with calculated precision. Your foot will be scanned and about 200,000 data points will be collected to create a model of your foot before NASA-caliber measurements are taken. Sabrina Shaffer, Howard's daughter who works in research and development for the company, explains that the shoes and the whole company have been driven by what customers ask for. "Historically, hoes started as a very custom product, then everything evolved into buying-off-the-shelf, mass market shoes," she says. "Otabo's shoes aren't only individualized with your input and fit, but the customer plays a role in having a bigger say." Case in point: Otabo's golf course-appropriate lines came about because customers started asking for them. Before long, their custom golf shoes for men and women were being laced up by some of the highest ranking pros. Talk about fitting to a tee! Various retail locations throughout the United States, Canada and China have the technology to scan your foot, and throughout the year Otabo also holds trunk shows in country clubs in the U.S. for fittings. You can expect your shoes within six to eight weeks.

Jodhpurs, paddocks, loafers and cowboy boots are just a few of the specialties of this Lower Manhattan shop, which is currently in its fourth generation of ownership. E. Vogel's riding boots are so highly prized that jockeys from far and wide, as well as the US Olympic Equestrian Team, journey here for its custom wares. The attention to detail is stunning, all the materials are top-shelf, and the shoes are as durable as the company, which has been around since 1879.

If you like to buy your shoes from someone with the personal touch of a hair stylist, pay a visit to Stefano Bemer at his headquarters in Florence. The uber-cobbler was once one of Gucci's designers. Since venturing out on his own, he constantly brandishes his imaginative sense for retro styles and contemporary design alike. And he's bold with his use of material—shark skin, camel hide, French calf and toad skin have all become footwear on his cobbler's bench. His intricate custom designs are in high demand, but he's so meticulous that he usually only makes 200 pairs a year. (He does sell ready-to-wear shoes.) We think he's proof that the muse that inspired Michelangelo still lingers in this storied city.

In the lingua franca of men's high-end fashion, “Silvano” is pretty much a synonym for quality. In true romantic Italian form, he's a self-dubbed “poet of shoes” and his craftsmanship is destiny, having been raised in Italy by parents who worked in shoe factories. He works with fine-grained calfskin and is known for his custom leather engravings. He has designs you can choose from or you can work with him to style your own creation.