ACME Shoemaker
MakerHistory
ACME Shoemaker is a footwear brand based in Beijing, China, established in 2020. Oliver Tang founded the company following prior partnership with the Chinese shoemaker Xibao. Development of the brand spanned nearly two years, focused on sourcing leathers and establishing a dedicated workshop in Beijing. The company employs a team of 15 artisans, several of whom have decades of experience in handcrafting shoes.
History
ACME Shoemaker is a footwear brand based in Beijing, China, established in 2020. Oliver Tang founded the company following prior partnership with the Chinese shoemaker Xibao. Development of the brand spanned nearly two years, focused on sourcing leathers and establishing a dedicated workshop in Beijing. The company employs a team of 15 artisans, several of whom have decades of experience in handcrafting shoes.
Manufacturing
The ACME Shoemaker workshop operates in Beijing, China, where 15 artisans handcraft all footwear. The manufacturing process includes hand-lasting, hand-welting, and hand-stitching of the sole seams. The company sources leather from tanneries such as Weinheimer, Annonay, Du Puy, Charles F. Stead, Haas, and Zonta. Exotic leathers, including alligator and crocodile, come from HCP, while cordovan leather is supplied by Horween.
Construction and materials
ACME Shoemaker uses traditional hand-welting techniques in its footwear construction. Each shoe features thick insoles, real leather heel and toe stiffeners, and hand-stitched sole seams with a stitch density of 12 per inch. The waist of many shoes is blind-welted for a seamless appearance. Italian vegetable-tanned outsoles, insoles, and stiffeners are used, and the company has announced plans to incorporate Baker outsoles in the future.
Products
ACME Shoemaker offers ready-to-wear, made-to-order, made-to-measure, and bespoke footwear. Ready-to-wear models include oxford, adelaide, derby, and brogue styles and are priced from €1,100. The made-to-order service offers selection of models, lasts, and leathers, and starts at €1,250, with a typical waiting time of 6 to 8 weeks. The made-to-measure service includes personalized fit adjustments, with final pricing determined by the scope of modifications, and delivery times around 8 weeks. The bespoke service starts at €2,000 and involves the creation of a custom last and pattern, with delivery times from 8 to 10 weeks depending on fittings.
In 2022, ACME Shoemaker launched "The Marvel" range, a more affordable line of ready-to-wear shoes priced at €900. All models in this range feature hand-lasting, hand-welting, and hand-stitched sole seams, with some simplified construction methods. The initial release included oxford, adelaide, and balmoral wingtip styles.
