For Personalised Trainers With Serious Street Cred
MattB Customs
When Marcus Rashford, Ariane Grande and Ed Sheeran want trainers that nobody else has, they turn to MattB Customs. Based in Manchester, this studio has become the go-to for custom kicks with serious street credibility. Clients can design from scratch or collaborate with the team to add bespoke enhancements – from dip-dyed soles to embroidered initials and hand-painted portraits – to new trainers. Working alongside brands like Nike and New Balance, MattB Customs is transforming recognisable shoes into totally unique wearable art. Here, anything is possible.
For Upcycling And Personalising Your Worn-Out Favourites
Shoe Spa
North London’s Shoe Spa is not merely a repair and restorative service – it’s also a creative lab for your trainers. As well as breathing new life into tatty soles, the studio offers a new bespoke service allowing clients to personalise their kicks with custom colours, motifs and hand-painted artwork. Simply send over photos, agree a concept and post your trainers in. What returns is a pair that’s not only restored, but reborn and like no other. This is upcycling at its best. You get to receive a street-style statement in exchange for second-hand salvage.
For Custom Embroidered Velvet Slippers With Savile Row Sophistication
Arthur Sleep
If you know, you know. Beloved by royals and best dressed gents alike, Arthur Sleep has revolutionised traditional shoemaking with a future-facing approach. Imagine Savile Row meeting Silicon Valley. These signature slippers – handmade in London – are tailored using 3D foot scans and CAD allowing digital precision for an impeccable fit. Customers decide on fabric (suede, cashmere, linen, 188 colour shades), linings (over 30 options) before personalising the shoe with bespoke embroidery. The future king went for a black velvet pair embroidered with fighter jets. For customers unable to access the store, a foot foam impression kit allows remote fittings.
For Fun Hand-Painted Trainers Like No Other
Koko Art
This is just pure joy. Founded in Camden Town in 2010, Koko Art was the first London shop to offer custom hand-painted shoes – and they’re still ahead of the curve. Each pair is painted freehand, using premium textile paints, then heat-sealed for durability. From Banksy-inspired designs on high-tops to comic book-style Air Force 1s, the shoe are whimsical, witty and utterly unique to each wearer. Choose from blank high-tops or slip-ons, or bring in your own shoes and let their in-house artists work their magic. The only limit is your imagination.
For Timeless, Custom Moulded Leather Shoes That Last
Foster & Son
Known as ‘the shoemaker’s shoemaker,’ Foster & Son has been making bespoke leather men’s shoes for over 180 years, so it’s unsurprising that some of the best handmade footwear emerges from their Jermyn Street workshop. Theirs is a temple to traditional craftsmanship, where pairs of leather shoe are cut, stitched and moulded by hand. The result is immaculate loafers, brogues and boots that are as durable and elegant. Shoes aside, the shop also holds the honour of producing Britain’s ministerial red despatch boxes – which, incidentally, they sell for £4,050. For a pair of leather shoes with gravitas – and a touch of political legacy – look no further.
