Susie, great meeting you, we have already had a brief chat with Felix, but can you tell us in your own words who Felix is?

Susie: Felix is a true craftsman, a perfectionist, and very self-contained. He’s a content, secure, and incredibly patient individual; if necessary, he’ll start from scratch if something isn’t right. But not only in his work life, also on a personal level, he is very considerate. And what we share is a passion and need for freedom and independence, although we might pursue it in different ways.

And Felix, how would you describe Susie?

Felix: Susie is an incredibly driven person. “No” isn’t an answer for her. She gets absorbed, in a good way, and loves getting lost in the pursuit of what she’s doing. She’s the captain of her own ship and knows what she wants.

Susie: We are similar in many ways, but our approaches differ. Felix tends to be more easygoing, going with the flow, adapting and figuring things out while enjoying the journey. Me, on the other hand, would swim against the tide if necessary to pursue my vision.

I sense independence returning with both of you. What does that entail for your relationship?

Felix: The freedom and respect to be able to make your own choices, without judgment and without being easily influenced.

Susie: Autonomy is very important to me. We don’t need to be together; we chose to be together and share the things we chose to share. That’s the point. We were friends first, and that playfulness and mutual support is vital in our relationship.

Did you completely quit bootmaking?

Felix: No not completely. I closed the order book, finished all open orders, and stopped repairs. I kept practising, took sporadic commissions I really cared about, and now, with my other job, I make about four or five pairs a year, and I can really put all my effort into growing relationships with customers.

Susie: This way, the business can scale as needed; he’s a freelancer. And last year Felix really put in a lot of time to refine his approach and confirmed he wants to keep making boots.

Why did you start making custom-made boots? How did you get started?

Felix: After quitting my job as a chef, I bought a motorcycle and spent time in Italy, where I saw an old shoemaker at work in Florence. I was sold immediately. I returned to London, interned at a small shoe-making factory, learned the entire process, and then began making boots for myself because riding bikes requires proper boots, not shoes. After some time, my friends started asking for pairs, and it kept on growing gradually to where it is now. I took over the bespoke part at the factory where I was working for a while, but I quickly launched my own business as I wanted to focus on creating a different type of boot.

You do everything yourself from the first drawing to crafting the end product, measuring, sourcing materials, last making, …. Where did you learn all these different techniques?

Felix: The factory where I started at taught me a lot about shoemaking, but it was limited to specific styles of shoes, so I started visiting standalone makers to broaden my knowledge, like Dominic Casey who worked for the West End firms (Cleverly/John Lobb) taught me last making. Darren, a bespoke trainer maker, taught me the ins and outs of pattern making. I shared a studio with Sebastian Tarek (a bottomer) and learned hand-sewn sole work. The UK community is small, so I asked a lot of questions and people were very generous to share their knowledge as they saw I was passionate about it all.

You also went to Texas, right? Was that with a specific reason in mind?

Felix : The UK shoemaking industry doesn’t really do pull-on boots like cowboy or roper boots; most knowledge has moved to the US. I was supposed to go to the Boot Makers Roundup in Texas in 2020, but COVID unfortunately cancelled the trip. Last year I spent three days with Lee Miller, legendary bootmaker and Charlie Dunn’s apprentice, in Austin, Texas. He’s a true legend of his own. That was my first proper boots-specific deep dive with a master boot-maker. Before that point, most of the knowledge I gathered was more shoe-specific, which I translated on my own into the boots I wanted to wear and make.

Has anything changed in your work after the Texas trip?

Felix : Seeing such an artist at work ignited my passion for bootmaking even more. I built a boot to test and try everything I learned. The changes are subtle, though, but make all the difference in my mind, such as shape refinements, last details, and construction philosophy. For example, instead of building ease onto the last for entry, we build it into the pattern, which gives a nicer fit and longer wear.