The crafting process of hand-stitched shoes begins with the initial and most defining step: taking measurements. We offer this opportunity at our shoe salon, or in exceptional cases, upon special request, we can travel to your location.

The personal meeting is essential due to the importance of accurate, professional measurement, without which the same size cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore, the personal relationship makes it possible for our attention to be extended to every detail, to learn about the needs and style of the customer, as well as important health characteristics and anatomical peculiarities in terms of shoe making. Thanks to our almost 30 years of experience in making orthopedic shoes, we can even help slow down the deterioration of certain foot deformities with professional solutions, or even make them symptom-free.

During the personal meeting, after assessing the structural characteristics, we are also happy to recommend a shoe last shape, so that our client can choose the one that best suits the type of foot (e.g.: in the case of extra full feet, we do not recommend our shoes with a long-pointed toe shape). At the same time, a raster footprint is taken during measurement and manual foot measurement is also performed. We guide our customers through every step of the personalization options.

Starting from the measurement, the ordered shoes are optimally ready within 6-8 weeks.

We believe that the true value of high-level technical and traditional solutions can only really emerge when paired with the best quality materials, which is why we obsessively believe in the importance of the materials used.

That is why we only use sole materials made by Rendenbach (currently its successor company) for our shoes.

The lining of our shoes can only be vegetable-tanned calfskin or cowhide, since this is in contact with the wearer's foot, so we do not compromise on this either. We order our used materials from suppliers, who represent the best quality in their field, all ethically.

This is especially true for our exotic leathers. We only work with the leather of animals that have a certificate, died naturally, or come from breeding, thus complying with the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES. This international convention regulates international trade to protect wild animals and plants.

The raw material of our cordovan leather shoes with impressive characteristics is produced by the Horween company in Chicago, using the technology of 1905 to present day.

Leather is eternal to us. The materials with the increasingly fashionable name "vegan" cannot compete with this wonderful material, which has been proven for thousands of years, in terms of durability and quality. We use natural material, that completely decomposes in nature.

A bőr ráadásul az idő múlásával alkalmazkodni képes lábunk formájához és külső hatások okán idővel egyedi patinával díszítődik. Megfelelő ápolás mellett bőrből készült, kézzel varrott cipőink akár 15-20 évet is szolgálhatják Önt.

After selecting the desired style and toe shape, and taking your measurements, we create a custom pattern for your future shoes. This pattern serves as the foundation for cutting the leather components later in the process.

First, the wooden shoe last is adjusted to the client’s foot measurements, then it is covered with a special paper, onto which the envisioned shoe model is drawn. This is the first time the design appears in three dimensions.

Once removed from the shoe last, this paper provides the foundation for creating the final pattern, which will preserve the measurements of your foot in our workshop.

This means that as long as there are no significant changes in foot size, the pattern can be reused any number of times with the same shoe last.

After the design, sample making and material selection, we cut out the pieces of the upper part and lining of the footwear from the selected leathers according to the paper templates made individually for each shoe. In the meantime, the raw material is constantly being tested for surface and structural defects, compliance with stretch direction.

The upper part of a given model can consist of up to 48 parts per pair. Achieving the appropriate thickness of these pieces, meticulously processing their edges, gouging them, fitting them together precisely, reinforcing them with internal, hidden parts, then, after sewing them together, the three-dimensional shape of the half-finished shoe begins to emerge for the first time.

With a special pair of pliers, the master carefully tightens every centimetre of the shoe on the wooden frame, while fixing it tightly with nails. To follow the perfect shape, we make the fine wrinkles of the leather with the hammer and tools left to us as a legacy from our grandfather, thus keeping our family tradition alive.

The science of manual sewing a shoe requires several years of study and practice, which is never finished, because this technology contains many development opportunities.

Each type of seam has its own advantages in terms of aesthetics, durability and flexibility. Our shoes can be requested with English sewn, German (hidden) sewn, stitched stuffing sewn, goiser sewn, opanka sewn or a Norwegian sewn sole.

The first type of sewn of these extremes, the almost invisible German (hidden) stitched sole, with which we make our most cleanly designed, especially casual shoes, has a thinner sole and a lighter appearance.

The other pole is represented by the opanka stitched sole, which we consider to be an excellent choice for our particularly extravagant, eye-catching, dominant style. In this case the sole is thick, robust and stiffer, and its sound commands more authority.

Additional sewing types can be found between these two types, and can be combined with our models in an almost infinite number of ways.

To this day, we sew our shoes with classic linen thread, which we fan before sewing. Our manufactory still makes the necessary beeswax-based mixture based on a more than 100-year-old recipe. This is long and detailed work, rub the sole into the sewing thread, thereby ensuring its waterproofness for a long time. About 10-12m of yarn is needed to sew the soles of both pieces of an average model (English sewn in).

Depending on the type of seam, the frame is first sewn to the retaining sole lining, together with the upper part and lining. In the case of frame types, this forms the basis of further work processes, it guarantees that the parts of the shoe remain together.

The most of the materials and components in the shoe meet at this phrase. After filling the insole and inserting the reinforcements, the sole is attached to the previously sewn frame with another row of strong stitches.

Nowadays, we use cork as well as belly leather to fill the soles. In the time of our great-grandfathers, wealthier people often made their shoes "creaky" on purpose, so that the wearer could be noticed from a distance while walking.

At that time, they achieved the recognizable classic leather shoe sound by using layers of leather specially placed under the plantar muscle to fill the soles.

In order to ensure that the extremely strong sole construction can fulfil its function as long as possible (this is the only area where, contrary to the traditional use of materials), we strongly recommend the use of wear-resistant rubber inserts.

After applying the pure leather heel layers, the wearing surface of the heel can also be coated with rubber or, upon request, a copper alloy anti-wear coating.

The quality and comfort of Kozma shoes are not only contributed by the eye-catching details that determine the appearance of the shoe, such as sewing, polishing and decorations.

But also the internal technical solutions hidden from view, such as the binding and heel stitching inside the sole, are just as important. The heel and sole are decorated with copper nails or copper-bronze alloy heel and toe inlays.

Making even the simplest shoes requires approximately 60 working hours, so in our small manufacture we can make a maximum of 6-8 pairs of shoes per month. This production in limited quantities allows these details and solutions to be created with the same artistic care for all footwear.

By threading an extra thread into the seam, we strengthen the seam in the nose part, where, due to the thickening of the stitches, the single thread could tear the skin more easily without it. A small string of pearls hidden from the eyes, an invisible trifle, yet it is one of the most indispensable details in the toe of the shoe.

Depending on the sewing type, the stitch length can be 0.8-1.2 cm. Although it is not visible from the inside, the master's eye cannot be mistaken here either, since where the thread reaches the surface on the other side of the leather, even the smallest stitch length differences would greatly spoil the overall appearance of the shoe.

In some cases, the hidden decorations on the upper part of the shoe can only be sewn by hand. In order to achieve the outer curves of some Norwegian models, one of the most technically difficult stitches has to be used. The craftsman skillfully guides the stitching within the thickness of the leather cross-section, carefully avoiding any breakage. This delicate work is done with just 1.8-2.2 mm of material thickness. Creating this type of decoration requires exceptional expertise, patience and experience.

The craftsman shapes the stitching channel on the sole using a piece of glass, carefully adjusting its angle and thickness to ensure the strength of the subsequent stitching. Neither the eye, nor the hand can afford any error, as it is precisely in these unseen details that the key to the shoe’s durability lies.