Traditional Craftsmanship, Authentic Leather and Bespoke Art is What Sets Cuero Shoes Apart

India has never been associated with luxury. People often resort to international brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel and more to opt for luxurious goods, however, Cuero is here to change that. Founded by Naman Shah in 2013, Cuero shoes have left a mark in the fashion world with their bespoke luxury handcrafted leather shoes. If you, too, want to know more about the brand, read this article to learn more!

About Cuero

In a world where trends and virality are what steal the spotlight, Cuero is here to set the record straight. Cuero, a traditional and authentic bespoke footwear brand, revolves around the idea of personal taste and individuality. Wherein, we find people hopping on the trends and recreating them, Cuero identifies their craft as original. Naman Shah, the founder of Cuero shoes, had a very unconventional start. While most folks get a business degree, Naman began by working on a farm, which forever changed his life. While on a visit to Dubai, the germ was planted in Naman’s business-oriented brain. It was then, in 2013 Cuero was born with a vision to let Indian traditions and crafts be rewarded on a global scale.

A luxury brand, Cuero’s shoes specialise in bespoke, made-to-measure leather shoes. Handcrafted by skilful artists and traditional methods, these shoes meticulously embody India’s culture and craftsmanship. The term ‘Cuero ’ translates to leather in Spanish. The talented craftsmen at Cuero are the third generation of shoemakers, gifted artisans whose expertise lies in leather. With every pair, entirely handcrafted, Cuero shoes are made of authentic leather. Each pair of shoes, crafted with passion and perfection, takes about 4 to 5 weeks to make. And, when it comes to the bespoke collection of shoes, the customer is asked about their preferences for the type of shoe, pattern, design, shades, leather and more.

Though at times, the leather is imported, the karagiri is all local. When one talks about luxury goods, India is often neglected. Though our culture is as vast as any other nation’s, people refuse to associate luxury with India, and Cuero is here to change that norm. For years, foreign brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and Chanel have dominated the luxury market of the world. Even in India, the high-class or the richer strata of the society ostensibly associate luxury with these international brands; however, the Indian luxury goods market is often deliberately neglected. Cuero aims to eliminate the biases and wishes to create an identity for itself as an Indian luxury brand.

The Bespoke Craft 

At Cuero, every footwear is crafted to align with the customer’s interest. Following the mantra, ‘Crafted for You and Designed by You’, the brand allows every customer to have an essence of their personality in their footwear. Buyers can customise their style, pattern, design, shape, monograms, initials, materials and more. Right from the sole to every inch of the shoe is made using pure leather. If customers want, they can also choose the type of leather, like Calfskin Leather, Aged Leather, imported leather and more. Now, the brand has also expanded its business into accessories for men, like belts and briefcases. Even these items are made purely of leather. The process of handcrafted leather shoes takes precision and experience. Only skilled craftsmen are experts in this tedious task. 

The process involves stages like:

Designing
The design for the shoe is decided according to the customer’s preferences. Right from the leather, the sole, the pattern and the shade, everything is decided in this stage.

Cutting
In this stage, the selected leather is cut with precision according to the design approved by the customer.

Stichting
This is a crucial stage, as the shoe comes to life. Every piece and part of the leather cut is now stitched and glued to make the perfect Cuero shoe.

Lasting
Lasting is an important step where the shoe upper is stretched and secured over a foot-shaped form called a ‘last’. Later, the leather is coated with a layer of oil or a chemical.

Finishing
In this process, the shoe is polished and checked for any imperfections. 

The Fans of Cuero Shoes

Cuero, for all the right reasons, has been the talk of the town and is loved by many Indian celebrities. One of them is the co-founder of Zerodha, Nikhil Kamath. On his Podcast WTF, along with guest Ranbir Kapoor, Nikhil opined his views on Cuero, ‘Cuero is a local Indian brand which has access to the best kind of leather, the best kind of craftsmanship you can find in India. They feel better than a foreign brand like Gucci or Louis Vuitton.’ Cuero has a vast, trusted base as it specialises in a variety of leather footwear and products. Customers can get their initials engraved on their shoes. A few bestselling items are the loafers, mules, sandals and slides.