Los Angeles-based shoemaker and designer Chris Francis, Glam Rocker of Footwear, combines global shoemaking traditions with references to high fashion, 20th century art movements, and punk rock. His hand-constructed, one-of-a-kind shoes are equal parts contemporary art object, wearable shoe, and narrative device.
Francis: ‘I was inspired to become a shoemaker after attending a Louis Vuitton party in 2010. At the time, many shoemakers in Hollywood were shifting their focus exclusively to repairs, as fewer clients were commissioning custom shoes. As these shops began to close, I started buying their old tools. Whenever I visited a veteran shoemaker, I would ask a single question about the craft. No one had the time to teach me how to make a pair of shoes from start to finish, but everyone was willing to answer one question.
After about a year of making shoes in my kitchen, I began producing them professionally. I was noticed early in my career because I was simply creating designs I loved. My first customers were rock ’n’ roll musicians, and my shoes quickly went from my kitchen to the stage, worn during performances on world tours. Soon afterward, I was hired by a Hollywood artisan to create shoes for celebrities’
© Chris Francis.
