My name is Christopher McCallum. I am the lead designer for Vein Wear. Vein is an Australian designer male footwear label. We stock in about 30 stores in Australia and New Zealand. We also sell online direct to customers in the US, UK, Japan, Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Canada. I will use this first post to introduce Vein, but in the future I intend to focus on hot shoes from all over the world and from any designer label. I hope to find more guys and girls around the place that are interested in finding unique and fashion forward footwear. Worldwide, 11 billion pairs of shoes are produced each year. So, in terms of quantity, Vein is not a big player. And that’s a fact we’re proud of. You see, we make “designer” shoes for exceptional individuals, like you. Men who value superior footwear. What it means to be “designer”.
The term “designer” is often used loosely in the fashion industry, and certainly so by a number of factories mass producing shoes that copy the fashion leaders.
We do it differently. How you’d expect a true designer shoe to be created for you. At Vein, each original design is sketched, first as a conceptual, and then worked and re-worked into final drawings with graphite on paper, by head Vein designer, Christopher McCallum. Then, a prototype shoe is meticulously crafted by hand.
It is why Vein shoes are worn on the runway by Australia’s hottest clothing labels at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week and L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. For runway pics, visit the Recent Events link at the veinwear.com website.
Why make shoes?
Vein shoes are for men who understand that why a shoe was made is just as important as how it was made.
At Vein, the why is very simple and clear … we handcraft shoes that say everything you want to, without saying a word. The answer to how we do it is equally simple and clear … it comes from over 25 years hand crafting the finest fashion shoes for gentlemen.
For example, to create sleek lines and slim profile, 600 pounds of pressure must be applied to the leather in 2 dimensions. Yet to create the tightest curves and beautiful lines that are the signature of a Vein shoe, our craftspeople have learned how to apply 800 pounds of pressure … on 3 dimensions. Only elite cobblers will take the extra time to do it, and invest in the specialised tools. We do it because it is what you’d expect from Australia’s premier footwear designer.
You want shoes that really stand out. Yes, our new designs are eye-catching from any distance. But it’s up close where the intricate detailing comes into its own. Exceptional detailing and a technically demanding pattern require skilful and fastidious cobbling. Each new design requires new skills, techniques and knowledge. From start to finish, we practise cutting, lining, bonding, stitching and baking. The end result is higher qualified cobblers and of course, the amazing Vein shoes.
Not one reject created
At the core of Vein’s design-leading body, is the passion of a quality perfectionist. At least four full time “quality controllers” or “mentors” oversee all the major stages (initial training on each style, cutting, sewing, bonding and shaping). If any imperfections are found at any stage of the process, they are empowered to immediately stop the production to fix the problem. Other labels will continue in the face of faults and pick out rejects at the end. At Vein we simply do not make rejects.
Also rigorously tested is the leather for colour, strength and consistencies. Each pair of shoes is made from the same piece of leather so that they match perfectly. Vein’s founder personally hand picks the highest grade leathers directly from international tanneries. The leather bonding is tested in both hot and cold environments to ensure the shoes endure both summer and winter extremes. In contrast, mass production shoes are just that, produced in mass.
The end result of all the extra care and effort we take at Vein is a flawless shoe and the accompanying satisfaction and pride. It is expensive to do? Absolutely! But we do it because we want you to get what you pay for, and more.
