Masterpiece of German classic leather shoes – Patrick Frei Schuhe, Freiburg
Dear readers, talk about the new season and wardrobe changing from the heavy winter clothes to the lighter ones for spring/summer, one of the essential will possibly be a pair of great shoes, and when talking about refined leather shoes, most of us will only think of the most reputed shoemaking countries such as Italy and Spain, however, one should never estimate the classic shoe-maker in Germany! Especially when I came across a German shoemaker’s work from Freiburg, the classic and refined Oxford shoes that made with well-polished leather, timelessly designed and looks sharp and smart, which intrigues me to find out more about Patrick Frei Schuhe.
Spending his time in South America and learnt about trunk making during his trip, Mr. Patrick Frei discovered his passion and talent about making refined shoes, after returning to Germany, and subsequently become an apprentice for a master shoemaker for years, at the same time, studying shoemaking before starting his own label; Patrick has a very clear vision about his work which honors the traditional art of classic shoemaking, influenced by the Belle Époque of shoemaking around 1900s, as well as his modern interpretation of sharpness, adding his passion about antique pocket watches, refining his sensitivity on the detail and replicating such technique into shoemaking, the result literally aligns to his creation - impeccable and exquisite, classic yet relevant to our time now for classic menswear.
Take a closer look into a couple of iconic styles, such as the black leather ‘Aurelia’ or the ‘Burgundy Casual’ for instance, the interpretation truly shows the modernity of how a pair of classic men’s leather shoes could still be relevant today, from the understated metal piece at the tip of the shoe sole, to the superbly polished calf leather and the exquisite craftsmanship, which brings the conventional Brogue or Oxford shoes style into 21st century, as Patrick emphasizes about making a pair of perfect shoes for the unique individual, these classic and beautifully crafted shoes did stands the test of time, and brings out the distinctive style of the wearer, which makes the shoes by Patrick Frei so unique.
Among all the classic shoes style, one of the most noteworthy model should be the black leather ‘Worldchampion’; this exquisite shoes displayed the delicate handwork and effort that Patrick put behind, reaching the quality of Belle Époque of shoemaking around 1900 once again, at the same time, demonstrating the rigorous craftsmanship and detailing, making this shoes to win the gold medal in the World Championship of Shoemaking in London in 2018.
As a shoe or classic menswear connoisseur, I believe that’s one of the masterpiece that you shouldn’t miss out in your wardrobe.
https://www.freischuhe.de/en/
Image courtesy of Patrick Frei Schuhe, Freiburg
Photo credit: Andreas Lörcher; except the ‘Championshipshoes’ - Janik Gensheimer.