Get Custom Fitted At Home
Step in and out of our medical grade Bio-Foam® precision foot molds, engineered and made by Smithers Bio-Medical Systems in Kent, Ohio. We craft bespoke footwear using not just the bottom of your foot, but the shape and volume of your entire foot 3 inches above your ankle bones.
Fit Guarantee
At Bondeno, every pair of shoes is meticulously handcrafted to match the precise contours, fitting specifications, and stylistic preferences of each individual client. If our bespoke footwear does not fit you precisely as you desire, we will remake them, free of charge.
Custom Shoe Lasts Carved From Scratch
We craft individual shoe lasts for the left and right feet, carving each to match the specific shape, volume, and fit preferences of the corresponding foot, ensuring a perfectly fitting pair of shoes or boots using our state-of-the-art CNC machines.
Italian Craftsmanship Since 1908
Once your bespoke shoe lasts are created, our fifth-generation artisans in Italy begin the process of making your bespoke shoes or boots, which includes more than 250 distinct steps.
Custom Fitted Bespoke Shoes with At-Home Fittings
Custom Fitted Bespoke Boot with At-Home Fittings
The Gift of Comfort & Style
Unlock the perfect fit with our bespoke footwear gift cards! Gift your loved ones the luxury of custom-fitted, handcrafted shoes tailored to their unique style and comfort.
Philip Danisi
Southhampton, New York
"I have found Bondeno to be incredibly professional. Most importantly, Bondeno’s shoes are incredible. The highest quality, and perfect bespoke fit. Charles at Bondeno has catered to my every request and inquiry. I am a client for life."
Eric Schaal
San Francisco, California
"Charles helped me get a beautiful pair of custom dress shoes with exactly the fit I needed. Bondeno's quality of workmanship and materials are up there with the best shoes I've ever owned."
David Conklin
Charlotte, North Carolina
"Thank you Charles, and the whole Bondeno team for the beautiful black, perfectly crafted calfskin dress shoes. It gives me great satisfaction to inform you of their top shelf status in my shoe closet."
Stewart Eng
Singapore
"Placed an order for a pair of bespoke shoes from Bondeno in New York. Charles, assisted me in the ordering process as I am stationed out of the US. After receiving the shoes in a timely manner, the workmanship is impeccable and the quality of leather, right up to the customer service offered as well as the shoe fit is great."
John Oliver
Houston, Texas
"I am very happy with how the custom made shoes fit me and with the quality of the shoes. Certainly the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever purchased."
HEADQUARTERS
THE METLIFE BUILDING
200 Park Avenue, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10166
CONSULTATIONS
Blog posts
The Psychology of Men's Dress Shoes: What Your Shoes Say About You
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The Best Men's Dress Shoes for Every Occasion
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Why Men Wear Bespoke Shoes: Elevating Footwear to an Art Form
Bespoke shoes represent the pinnacle of footwear, combining perfect fit, exceptional comfort, and unmatched craftsmanship. They allow men to express their personal style, boost their confidence, an...
Read moreBESPOKE SHOES IN DETAIL
A custom shoe last is a mold in the shape of a shoe on which the leather is stretched to craft the custom shoe. “Made-to-measure” on the other hand means that a stock shoe last will be used to make slight modifications to try and match the shape and measurements of your feet. We do not offer made-to-measure services as our lasts are made from scratch. At Bondeno, we sculpt and custom carve the left and right lasts from scratch using the left and right foot's shape, volume and fitting preferences because no two feet are the same. We also understand that each foot's center line/axis is unique and it rarely matches the center line/axis of an adjusted or modified stock shoe last.
CUSTOM TOE SHAPES
When it comes to toe shapes, we offer the classic round, the classic square, the chisel toe, and the perfetta chisel toe.
FREE LIFETIME SHOE LAST ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM
Our feet get wider and our arches begin to slowly fall as we age. We offer free adjustments to your bespoke custom-made lasts if needed every time you place a new order with us so that each new pair of shoes fit you as well as the last.
OUR COLLECTION, REPLICATE OR CUSTOM DESIGN A PATTERN
During the customization process for the upper of the shoe, the client may choose one of our house styles, have us replicate a design, or commission an entirely new design, within the oxford, loafer, derby, monk strap, and boot categories. The final pattern selected by the client will be custom-designed using the client's custom carved lasts.
For our shoes and boots made in calf leather, we use "Sicalf", a 1.4 mm A-Grade full-grain calfskin produced by Tanneries du Puy, established in 1946 in the South of France, and currently owned by the Hermès Group. We use Sicalf for its suppleness, durability, and superior quality.
SOLE CONSTRUCTIONS
In terms of sole constructions, we offer: a single leather Blake Stitch construction known for its thin profile, weightlessness, and flexibility. A double leather Blake Rapid construction known for its thicker profile, durability, and waterproofness. A full Vibram rubber Blake Rapid construction known for its flexibility and water resistance. A Goodyear welted double leather sole, known for its cork-filled foot-bed that molds to your feet over time, provides extra cushioning, it is easily resolable, and is also the most waterproof leather sole available with a double stitched outsole.
HEEL HEIGHT
A standard heel height for a pair of classic dress shoes is around 2 cm or 0.78 inches in height, depending on the length of the shoe, but you are given the option to commission a taller or shorter heel height according to your personal preferences.
INTERIOR HEEL CUSHIONING
We use a high-density memory foam heel piece that never goes flat and provides the most comfortable cushioning of all heel pieces we have come across over the years. This feature comes standard in all of our shoes.
Craftsmanship
DESIGN & CARVING OF THE LAST
We use the client's exact foot shape and dimensions to first digitally create a set of perfect fitting lasts. Once the toe shape of the last is approved by the client, we proceed with the physical creation of the last. Carving a set of lasts when using the client’s measurements is 50% art & 50% science because getting the client's measurements just right is only the beginning. A beautiful pair of shoes is determined by the shape of the lasts, complimenting the client's unique foot shape, body height and weight.
PLANNING
The design of our custom-made shoes are sometimes based of the wishes and specific needs of the client. The design is enhanced with personalization, which starts with the planning and shaping phases.
CUTTING
The cutting of the leather that creates the vamp is done exclusively by hand, to ensure that only the best leather is chosen for a specific model.
CONNECTING
Each pair of our vamps is crafted from beginning to end by a single artisan. This guarantees a precise and accurate semi-finished product, perfect in the smallest details, whether it is visible or not.
ASSEMBLING
The custom made shoe takes shape in this stage. This is done mostly by hand, with pliers, hammers and nails, just like the handmade tradition demands. The machinery helps the artisans somewhat. It can’t however be a substitute for the taste and the expertise of artisans with decades of experience.
PREPARATION, STITCHING, & FLATTENING OF THE SOLE
Before and after the stitching of the sole, many tasks are necessary to bring to completion the creation of a reliable and comfortable shoe. They are very specific tasks, crucial in making the product unmistakably unique.
POLISHING
All our bespoke custom-made shoes are polished on the lasts by using only the best creams: no sprays or polishes cover the beauty of the leather used. The final result is a clean shoe that shines naturally. It does not matter how long it takes to achieve this goal.
THE "HANDMADE" STANDARD
Our handmade custom shoes crafted in our small family workshop in Italy carry traits that are not found in shoes made in factory assembly lines. When Picasso draws a perfect circle by hand we know it could never be as perfect as one drawn using a compass, but just like some people will still prefer the one by Picasso, to this day many prefer handmade shoes because they provide the quality and elegance that machines cannot replicate. Our shoes are hand-welted, hand-lasted and hand-soled.
HAND-PAINTED
When it comes to colors, we offer a choice between our solid colors or our traditional hand-painted patinas. Our patina colors are applied by hand, so the colors on each pair of shoes will vary slightly each time. Hand-painted colors gradually change over time and develop into beautiful patinas, whereas solid colors on calf leathers dyed at the tannery will keep the same color over time.