Part 5 Choi Hoong

I didn't know about this shop but one of my fellow photographer did. it was a simple shoe shop but a shop like no other. They made bespoke orthopaedic shoes made to order. And it was about the only one in the country and the shoes here cost a lot less than the alternatives which were usually imported.

On that particular morning, the sifu was away from the shop, so we did not manage to photograph him doing his trade. Instead, we were allowed in to have a look at his tools and talk to his assistant. Everything here was hand made.

The conspicuous front boardThe apprentice would have a hard time following this upLike the old days, things were more straight forwardThese were from taken directly from the customer's feetCut by handFor the orders, the intended user had to be present so that the exact shape and measurements of their foot could be taken. A mould would then be created and the sifu would then go about making the shoes to fit snugly and comfortably on the user later.

People came from all over the country to have their shoes made here, mainly for those with special needs. There were plenty of examples to be seen at the shop, but it would have been nicer if the sifu was in. It would have been quite a photo session if he was ……

More on the Choi Hoong Shoe Enterprise on here. The blog entries were compiled here.