Buday Shoes is a family business founded by Gabor Gyöngyösi in 2007. They operate from their shops on Margit körút 4 and Haris köz 2 in central Budapest, and employ a few artisan shoemakers who work hard to realise their fundamental shoemaking philosophy: to create unique handmade shoes – ‘something that cannot be copied’ – with great attention to detail, always with the ambition to make the best shoes in the world. The collections include both conservative models and more playful takes on the classics, often using unusual patterns and colourful leathers.

Love and respect for the craft is a matter of priority at Buday Shoes. The original Budapester shoe is made here: hand welted by Hungarian master shoemakers and made from high quality leathers.

Buday Shoes in the making - uppers being lasted by hand. Leathers are sourced from well-known European tanneries, and their oak bark tanned leather soles are from German manufacturer Joh. Rendenbach.

All Buday Shoes are hand welted. They use six different construction methods, but the two main categories are what they call English stitching – which is basically a hand sewn Goodyear construction – and Goyser stitching, which is a type of reverse welting process that is characterised by three spectacular looking rows of stitching above the sole edge.

Sole with a pegged heel. 'We do the welting by hand, with two needles and two threads at the same time, from opposite sides. If one of the threads break, the other one is still there to hold to hold it all up perfectly - so the welt is stitched with double security. This is also true for the sole stitching.' says Daniel Gyöngyösi.

Buday Shoes make both ready-to-wear and custom styles, and also offer a bespoke service where a personalised last is created according to the client’s measurements. A pair of test shoes are built on the last, which allows for adjustments to be made before the creation of the final pair. When the client takes delivery of his finished bespoke shoes, he can choose to either keep his personalised last, or to store it at the workshop for future use.

'I am always looking at shoes and considering new ideas. Once we have found something deserving to be made into a test shoe, we draw it by hand. Then our modeller creates a model. Following the new pattern, we make a test shoe. We "foot test" it and carry out the necessary adjustments. Based on this, we produce a small series. All in all, it takes about six months to develop a new style.' says Daniel Gyöngyösi.

The lastmakers have developed around 25 different lasts, but only 8-10 of them see regular use in the workshop. It has been a long-standing goal to reduce this number, but as customers often come up with new ideas, it has proven easier said than done. Most of Buday Shoes’s clients are not Hungarian, and Daniel says that they are proud to have customers from all over the world.

A traditional Budapester style shoe made up in tan grain and smooth leather.

Contemporary style on a sleeker last. Notice the goyser stitching above the sole edge.

Buday Shoes run two shops in central Budapest: one at Margit körút 4 (phone +36 30 904 2838) and another one at Haris köz 2 (phone +36 30 350 8440). Their shops are open to everyone, where you can admire this beautiful, traditional craft. Buday Shoes can also be reached via email.