Koji Suzuki: Cordwainer in Japan

Alan See from The Armoury has been posting some wonderful photographs lately of Spigola shoes. Spigola is a small Japanese operation based out of Nagata-ku, Kobe. It’s operated by Koji Suzuki, a talented, young cordwainer who trained under Roberto Ugolini. There, in Florence, Suzuki learned the full process of bespoke shoemaking, including everything from designing a model to fitting a client to hand welting his creations.

Suzuki’s early models were apparently very Italian inspired, but by the time he became a popular at Ask Andy and StyleForum, he was already moving towards more English designs. What I appreciate most about Suzuki is that he pushes the boundaries of traditional English styles, but never too far. The double monk straps, for example, have a nice extended top buckle that cuts back a bit high, and they utilize a handsome rounded buckled with a “hammered” finish. The beautifully sculpted, tight waist on another pair of his shoes is also a nice touch. It’s enjoyable to see someone striking such a good balance between tradition and innovation.

Rumor has it that the wait time for Spigola shoes is something like a year or two. Considering that Japan has more bespoke shoe makers than any other country in the world (as far as I know), that’s fairly impressive.