What’s better than owning an amazing pair of shoes? An amazing pair of shoes that no one in the world has.
WAY MORE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE THAN EVER BEFORE
You’ve heard of custom suits and shirts. But have you heard of a custom shoe? No, these aren’t the ones you get at from your podiatrist, but custom made shoes that you might only see on the runway.
Custom made shoes isn’t exactly new, if anything it’s become more popular in recent years. It’s way more accessible and affordable than ever before. So today we are checking out Le Ruux. So what makes buying a custom shoe different than buying one from a retailer? Le Ruux claims that their shoes are handmade with the finest Italian and Spanish leather, in Italy, Spain, and Cameroon depending on the style and materials needed. They have specialized craftsmen depending on what is needed.
THE REAL FUN IS UNDER DESGIN
So let’s go through the process together and see what we can come up with.
So when you go visit Le Ruux, you are greeted with a usual pop-up and a SHOP NOW link. Also, I recommend visiting this visit on a desktop since it isn’t very mobile friendly. You can buy some pre-made shoes in the SHOP NOW page but the real fun is under DESGIN.
Shoes start at $345 and go up depending on style and materials. There’s everything from loafers, Chelsea boots, and double monks. So I obviously went for double monks.
Now the fun begins. Everything is customizable. If you don’t have an idea on where to start, find your favorite pair of shoes and use it as a baseline. I took my favorite pair of double monks and used it to guide my choices.
Ok, this is easy! English style for me. While the monti is classic, it’s too classic for me.
EVERYTHING IS SHOWN VIA A 3D MODEL
Now it gets serious. It’s like making your own custom character in a video game. You can go through each section of the shoe and select different materials, patterns, and colors. Everything is shown via a 3D model. You can manipulate the model with your mouse pointer to check out your shoe in every possible angle.
This is seriously like a video game! Go conservative or go wild. Click on the left and right arrows to go through each section. It will highlight on the screen to let you know what you’re editing.
You can seriously do whatever you want. So this is just an example of what you can manipulate. So let me show you what I made…
Y / n pic.twitter.com/S7Ia69yXFT
— Diego Leon (@DandyintheBronx) June 27, 2017
We double monk leopard print now! When I saw the pattern was available I knew I had to have it. Once you finalize your selection, click on FIN and it will ask you to confirm your selection. Double check! Click on the confirm bubbles when you are sure of each section then you’ll be able to order. After that you’ll be able to pick sizes in US format and EE is available as well.
PRETTY MUCH LIKE A CUSTOM SUIT
Ok, so you’ve made your shoes and paid up. How long will it take for my shoes to arrive? Le Ruux says since their shoes are handcrafted from scratch, they instantly start working on them as soon as the are orders are placed. 3-4 weeks is the expected wait time for your shoes. Pretty much like a custom suit.
3-4 weeks later the shoes finally arrived. Does it measure up to the 3D model?
THE DETAILS ARE AMAZING
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I did pick leopard print, but would I get it?
I was pleasantly surprised. The leather feels good and looks like it will age well if taken care of. Le Ruux shoes are handmade with the finest Italian and Spanish leather, in Italy, Spain, and Cameroon depending on the style and materials needed. The leopard print is made out of velvet, and I must admit, very fun to touch. Going to have to learn how to clean that just in case! Also, the punch cap on toe also looked great. The details are amazing.
I wear a size 9.5 and the shoes fit very well. Obviously with time, I’ll know if causes any blisters, but after this initial photoshoot, they were a treat to wear. Make sure to put these in a shoe tree to keep them in mint condition for a long time.
Check out Le Ruux and let me know what you make! I’ll be covering more custom shoes soon. Do you think you’ll be making your own shoes?
Thanks for reading and y’all stay dandy.
-Diego
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(Some of these links contain affiliate links, so that means if you click and buy something, I get a cut. It helps keep the site going! Full Disclosure)