Shoes. Oh My God.

By Benjamen Judd

But not just any old shoes. Shoes made by a bloke in Melbourne. No joke, that’s the tagline and it’s one of the best we’ve seen in a while. None of this fussy stuff that comes with other over-branded over-hyped bits of toot.

Wootten footwear really started back in the 1970’s, when Ross Wootten began working with Dutch master craftsman George Koleff and learnt the trade of a traditional cobbler.

Now, Ross’s son Jess has taken up the family business and continues to make exceptional custom made footwear. In an industry where custom-made skills are rapidly on the decline, Jess is making sure that there is still an option for people to get shoes of the highest quality, made to fit your feet as opposed to mutilating your ten piggies in order to squish them into ill-fitting and exorbitantly priced status symbols.

Jess does have a range of ready-made footwear to go – brogues, loafers and wingtips for men and beautifully crafted sandals, high heels for women, plus a selection of boots for both. These are just as comfortable as his custom made shoes but might take an extra week or two to wear in. The Wootten showroom is a veritable treasure trove for anyone with a half-descent shoe obsession so if you find yourself in Melbourne for whatever reason, head over and bring us back some gifts. We are all sample size, obvs.

For more information, visit the Wootten website.

The Wootten store can be found at 20 Grattan Street, Prahran but you do need to make an appointment.Or – open to the general public on Fridays 10-5pm and Saturday, 10-1pm.