Today marks a very special and holy day for all my Muslim friends and Muslims around the world. Today is Eid al Adha, or better known as Hari Raya Haji, Hari Raya Aidiladha, or even Hari Raya Korban among Malaysians. On this day, Muslims will sacrifice a cow or a goat, and distribute it to the poor and needy, relatives and for their own keep. It is a very holy, special and meaningful day to the Muslims.
Speaking of sacrifice, I too would like to pay tribute to my shoemakers; a very special group of individuals who have given their all in the craft they love and without them there would be no Adore More today.
So, how we do we produce a pair of shoes you ask? Let me run through a little bit on how it’s done.
Well, it all starts with the design of the shoes. I sketch out designs from scratch, but I also keep myself up to date with the latest through fashion magazines and designs from the Internet. With the inspiration and ideas I get by research, I will then tweak the design to my liking and what I think might look good. Everything from the colour, design, fabric, and the insoles.
Once my designs are done, I will take it to the shoemakers for a sample to be produced. That’s where further discussion and brainstorming take place. If the design or materials proposed are inappropriate, the sifu will advise me and I will have them relook into it.
Preparing a sample usually takes 2-3 weeks and once the sample is done, I will once again sit down with them and go through to see if everything fits. If I am not satisfied with the outcome, I will fine tune and fix the sample till finally it’s a ready product. The outcome is a 100% handmade product from the heart, coupled with years of invaluable shoemaking experience. 😊
So to all my sifus of shoemaking, thank you for all the hard work, effort and long hours you have put in, as well as being so very tolerant and accommodative to my numerous design changes (at times ) Thank you for all your sacrifice and commitment, for without you there won’t be Adore More! Here’s to many more years of working together!
