Spotlight: Tree Leather Studio

Today was another absolutely gorgeous afternoon in Shanghai. I am glad I left Lounge 18 last night when I did (3:30 AM...sshhhh) so that I had enough energy to wander around the French Concession and soak everything in. I left my apartment on my bike on a mission: to return to a small shoe store that I had passed by while apartment hunting last month. Located on 253 Shanxi Nan lu, it is a bit further away from the congestion of other stores near Changle Lu and Xin Le lu; however, this little shop is worth the extra mileage.

The owner of the store, Yan ChenChen, was a sweetheart! We spent a while talking about her store and the shoes. I had a field day trying on the different pairs and learning about how they are made. Although my Chinese vocabulary does not include the intricacies of shoe-making, this is what I uncovered. All of the shoes are hand-made by cobblers in a factory outside of Shanghai. The wing-tip Oxford style shoes for men are more complicated, and can a single cobbler up to a week to complete. The simpler styles (the ballet flats) are much less labor-intensive and consequently are half-the price. Speaking of price, these shoes are reasonable in my opinion! I bought myself a custom-made pair (I picked out my colors, size, material, etc.) for 580 RMB. They look like the traditional black&white Oxford....a little dorky and old-fashioned. In other words, perfect. They will be ready by the end of next week!

At Tree Leather Studio, what also struck my attention were some of the more whimsical pairs, such as the fuzzy pink leather flats, which reminded me of Miuccia Prada’s furry mohair collection a few seasons ago. I had to dig deeply into my self-restraint to resist buying the black flats that had the Hanzi for “left” and “right” on the toes. Clever. There were also designs that I recognized, such as the replica of the Frye Campus boot, one of my favorite pairs of shoes in my closet (I got them for my 18th birthday!).

There is something very alluring about the nostalgia and old-word craft associated with hand-made leather shoes. It’s nice to come across fashion here that is not so massed-produced and of poor quality. Of course Shanghai does have very high-end, top-quality clothing stores and brands; however, I particularly like these shoes specifically because they are not a brand.