3DM Lifestyle

The company was founded after Bhalla's childhood in India. During this time, he was obsessed with creating footwear to match clothing made at his parents' garment factory. 3DM Lifestyle focuses on making handcrafted shoes accessible through direct sales. The company uses full-grain leather sourced from European tanneries and employs traditional Blake stitched construction, a method invented in 1856 by Lyman Reed Blake. With pricing around $150, the brand positions itself as an accessible entry point into heritage footwear while maintaining quality construction standards.

3DM Lifestyle was established in 2013 by Dhruv Bhalla, who brought experience from his previous role as a merchandiser at Silver Sheen Enterprises Private Limited and education from the French Institute of Fashion. The company's founding story traces back to Bhalla's childhood in India, where his obsession with creating footwear to complement clothing produced at his parents' garment factory laid the groundwork for his future venture.

The company operates under the legal name 3DM Luxury & Lifestyle LLP and has grown to employ between 11 and 50 people. Bhalla's vision centered on bypassing traditional retail markups through a direct-to-consumer approach, making handcrafted footwear more accessible to consumers who might otherwise be priced out of the heritage footwear market.

3DM Lifestyle offers an extensive product range comprising over 100 different shoe styles across more than 15 different shoe shapes. The core collection includes traditional Oxfords, Chelsea boots, suede Penny loafers, and Chukkas, with each style available in multiple leather options and colors.

All shoes are constructed using full-grain leathers sourced from European tanneries, with specific sourcing from Turkish tanneries. The full-grain leather develops a natural patina as it ages, contributing to the shoes' character development over time. The company hand-dyes leathers using proprietary dyes and manual procedures, treating each piece individually by hand rather than using mass production techniques.

Patterns are cut by hand without the use of molds or lasers, maintaining traditional craftsmanship methods throughout the construction process. Each finished shoe represents what the company describes as an international collaboration between shoemaking experts and Italian designers.

3DM Lifestyle employs Blake stitched construction for all footwear, a method invented in 1856 by Lyman Reed Blake. This construction technique involves stitching the shoe upper directly to the sole, creating several advantages over other construction methods. Blake construction provides a short to no break-in period for wearers, creates a slimmer profile that allows for more stylish and fashion-forward designs, and delivers flexible, very lightweight shoes.

The Blake stitch method also makes shoes easily re-solable, extending their lifespan and providing long-term value to consumers. All production takes place in the company's own footwear factory in India, where craftsmanship values passed down for generations are employed in the manufacturing process.

The company handcrafts shoes in small batches to minimize waste, with each pair undergoing stringent quality control procedures before release. This small-batch approach allows for greater attention to detail and quality consistency across the product line while supporting sustainable manufacturing practices.

3DM Lifestyle operates on a direct-to-consumer business model designed to bypass traditional retail markups and make handcrafted shoes more accessible to consumers. The primary price point centers around $150, significantly lower than many competitors in the heritage footwear space while maintaining quality construction standards.

This pricing strategy positions 3DM Lifestyle as an accessible entry point into Blake stitched construction and full-grain leather footwear for consumers who might find traditional heritage brands prohibitively expensive.

With headquarters located at 95 Mayhill Street Unit H, Saddle Brook, New Jersey, the company maintains direct contact with customers. The direct-to-consumer approach allows the company to maintain control over the entire customer experience while keeping costs lower than traditional retail distribution would permit.