Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Matea Gluscevic, 36, has been making bespoke and handmade shoes under her eponymous label since 2019.
Known for her whimsical, daring designs that often push the limits of what we think of as shoes, her work stands out in a sea of mass-produced sneakers. But recently she’s hit a crossroad, as she says her current approach is “unsustainable”. Due to poor sales, she has decided to close the made-to-order portion of her business to focus on bespoke shoes.
Her clientele, which includes brides and people who need special considerations in their shoes, like those with mobility issues, are more willing to pay for the product. A bespoke pair of shoes takes around a month to make – from the conceptualisation stage to the finished product – and starts at $1500. Still, the hours she works – which equate to a part-time job – are not reflected in what she’s paid.
“My issue is that [bespoke] is not necessarily enough to live off,” she says. “So I’m sort of in a position of assessing what I’m doing.” There’s also the not-so-small matter of people’s purse strings getting tighter.
“The reality is, lots of the younger demographic, who I can tell love my work, are not in a position to be paying $700 for a pair of shoes,” says Gluscevic. “Which is .
