VEIN WEAR'S CHRIS MCCALLUM
HAS HIS FINGER ON THE PULSE
OF MEN'S SHOE TRENDS. HE
TELLS CASSANDRA LAFFEY WHY
HE'S SO PASSIONATE ABOUT
ORIGINAL DESIGN.
MEN'S FOOTWEAR DESIGNER Chris McCallum
is annoyed about the cheap copies flooding the
Australian footwear market and diluting the freshness
of original styles.
"A lot of the shoe companies at the moment skimp
on as much as they can and I think that's deceiving
to the customer," Chris says. "Our point of difference,
aside from being original designer shoes, is that the
actual make of the shoe is better."
Since founding Vein Wear seven years ago, Chris
prides himself on creating quality fashion -forward
footwear for men. He and Taiwan-born wife Szuting
McCallum (who is revamping the women's range)
recently set up a brand-new workshop in Taipei to
access who he believes are some of the best makers and
pattern makers in the footwear industry.
Chris believes many people may not realise what
goes into designing and creating quality footwear. "Just
getting the actual shape of the shoe, then matching
the sole to the last and making sure the heel is right
can take months," Chris explains.
"Then we do the
upper designs concept sketch and see what the leathers
lend themselves to. If it's a stuffed-up leather it's going
to be more of a fashion shoe; if it's a beautiful, smooth
black it's probably going to be more at the business
end of the spectrum."
upper designs concept sketch and see what the leathers
lend themselves to. If it's a stuffed-up leather it's going
to be more of a fashion shoe; if it's a beautiful, smooth
black it's probably going to be more at the business
end of the spectrum."
Chris says that with correct care there's no reason
why men's footwear can't last a decade. On the day
we meet, he's wearing the first pair he ever made -
seven years old and in immaculate condition.
"We get guys coming in and saying, 'I've only
worn my shoes for three months' and we're like,
'Wow, where? In Afghanistan? Were you on duty?'"
Chris laughs. "Moisture is the enemy of footwear.
If you alternate your shoes and give them time to
dry, they'll all last a lot longer. If you've got shoe
trees, put them in to soak up the moisture and keep
the shape - that's a really good lengthener. And the
thing most people these days forget is that shoes
should be repaired."
why men's footwear can't last a decade. On the day
we meet, he's wearing the first pair he ever made -
seven years old and in immaculate condition.
"We get guys coming in and saying, 'I've only
worn my shoes for three months' and we're like,
'Wow, where? In Afghanistan? Were you on duty?'"
Chris laughs. "Moisture is the enemy of footwear.
If you alternate your shoes and give them time to
dry, they'll all last a lot longer. If you've got shoe
trees, put them in to soak up the moisture and keep
the shape - that's a really good lengthener. And the
thing most people these days forget is that shoes
should be repaired."
On his next trip to Taipei, Chris is taking over
some emu and kangaroo leather to tryout some
new designs, similar to his high-end Australian-made
Oken range. New styles will continue to
drop regularly in-store and online and Chris
hopes Brisbane lads will continue to push fashion
boundaries.
"Most guys, if they haven't gone into something
special with their footwear, will never have had
anyone say 'Oh nice shoes'," Chris notes. "If they
just take the chance, just trust us - they do have to
go outside their comfort zone but almost invariably
what happens is they will get compliments."
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