Supremely elegant bespoke shoes that last a lifetime

A craftswoman who creates dream designs and expert fits in Florence

Female artisans don’t typically dominate the cobblers’ market; this is just part of what makes Vivian Saskia Wittmer’s bespoke creations so special. Born in Berlin, trained in Hamburg under master shoemaker Benjamin Klemann and later Florentine cobbler Stefano Bemer, Wittmer (second picture) now crafts custom shoes, boots and other footwear in a creative process that is entirely client-driven. The end result is a unique pair of shoes built to afford the wearer a lifetime of comfort and enduring quality.

Starting with a trip to her cheerful atelier on Florence’s Via Santa Lucia, the feet of customers – predominantly men, but women as well – are measured, a model is cast (€400), and Wittmer then crafts the shoe around it over a period of approximately four to five months. In her years of creating bespoke designs she’s touched on every style and type, from one-piece pumps that work well for the city, to hunting boots suitable for safaris, to simple ballerina flats, to sky-high heels created to match an elegant evening gown (ladies’ shoes from €1,300). She encourages customers to bring favourite old shoes, sketches, tear sheets, fabrics and finishes for inspiration.

She then sets about creating dream footwear, both inside and out. She requests extensive information about a client’s lifestyle – geography and sartorial needs are taken firmly into consideration – then makes recommendations on everything from construction and closures to the lining of each shoe. She works in a wide variety of high-quality skins and materials, including cordovan, elephant, ostrich, kangaroo, perch, shark, camel, crocodile (first picture) and the ever-popular calfskin. All of her designs are hand stitched – and either Goodyear or Norwegian welted – for beautiful lines that are completely one-of-a-kind and admirably sturdy at the same time.

The process of building a bespoke shoe with Wittmer is a delight, and clients who are pleased with their investment find it easy to repeat the process; the model cast for each client’s foot is kept at her studio so that a future full of scarpe su misura can become a reality.