Leather accessories by legendary Florence-based Japanese shoemaker

Nicknaming is a lost art.  Hidetaka Fukaya's is “il micio” (“the kitten”) and he wears it well.  He manages a sort of feline grace and dignity in his movements, his dress, and of course, the bespoke shoes that come out of his shop on the bank of the Arno in Florence.

Fukaya first studied fashion and design, before becoming a shoemaker.  He brings this refined aesthetic sense to the detailed and exacting craftsmanship learned during his apprenticeship under Alessandro Sella in Siena.  He’s one of the few shoemakers that might be said to run a studio rather than a workshop.

Il Micio’s bespoke shoes will run you 3,000 euros (and up) and a trip to Florence. But fortunately for us, he also offers small leather accessories, masterpieces in miniature that carry the Micio purr. Just the sort of rare and noble breed that we travel the world looking for.