Vickermann & Stoya, bespoke shoemakers in the Black Forest
The Black Forest in Germany is perhaps one of the best undiscovered sources of craftsmanship in the world. There is Pforzheim where fine jewellery, watches and writing instruments are made, small towns where they produce all by hand the finest cuckoo clocks and of course here and there distillers who make delicious liquor which is used to make the famous Black Forest cake by fine bakeries. But more and more people also know to find the Black Forest for having shoes made bespoke. Because in the town of Baden-Baden, which is a spa town favoured by the worlds jet set, there is a bespoke shoemaker who earned a status as one of the best over the past 15 years. This shoemaker is Vickermann & Stoya in the Merkurstraße.
Photo credits: Vickermann & Stoya
It must have been 10 years ago that I visited Vickermann & Stoya for the very first time. I came across them via a German forum for bespoke clothing afficionados and decided to stop over for a visit in Baden-Baden on my way to Italy by car. I remember driving into the steep Merkurstraße where my hotel was located as well. It looked very picturesque and from the beginning of the street I could see the old-school billboard hanging at the shopfront in the form of a shoe. Entering the shop makes you notice first the smell of leather which is something I could smell all day. The beautiful wooden interior with shining shoes everywhere will make every shoe afficionados hearts beat faster. In the background you hear the hammering since the workshop is attached to the shop, or even better you can see the workshop from the shop.
Photo credits: Vickermann & Stoya
In the workshop there is Martin Stoya who is making shoes and leads the whole team of skilled shoemakers. As you can see in the name, he is one of the owning partners too. Martin has been a shoemaker his whole life and the crafts is in his heart and soul. The other owning partner is Matthias Vickermann, a man who also knows the craft of shoemaking but is managing the customer relations mostly. Matthias is a true gentleman himself and loves everything that has to do with good style like shoes, suits, watches and many more. He understands the passion of most customers very well.
How Vickermann & Stoya started
The start of Vickermann & Stoya goes back to the year 2004 when Matthias Vickermann and Martin Stoya decided to join forces and set up a bespoke shoemaking atelier. Matthias came out of business life but made a change by taking an apprenticeship at another shoemaker in Baden-Baden. There he met Martin Stoya who worked there as well and at a certain point they decided to take over a shoemaker that wanted to sell his business. Shortly after that two more shoemakers in town wanted to sell their businesses and Vickermann & Stoya were happy to take over, in the following years more small shoemaking businesses would be taken over by Vickermann & Stoya. They also started to hire their first employees on board and trunk shows were started. One of the most interesting form of trunk shows Vickermann & Stoya has is on the MS Europa, a Cruise Ship. The level of service has always been important for the German shoemaker and this made the service extraordinary. Picking up their customers from the station or the airport, going to the customer, teaching the customers how to polish shoes. The latter became a very popular activity in the business that many men love to attend. Beside learning how to polish shoes one always meets interesting people and is guaranteed of a lovely evening with enough to eat and drink. Hospitality is the standard in the house of Vickermann & Stoya.
Photo credits: Vickermann & Stoya
I’ve experienced this on various of their House Exhibitions where Matthias Vickermann gathered together the finest suppliers of watches, clothing, writing instruments, wine, food etc. A celebration of luxury and craftsmanship where people can enjoy this all in a discreet and pleasant atmosphere. These exhibitions probably also inspired other craftsmen to locate their selves in the Merkurstraße in Baden-Baden, the street got over the last years the nickname as ‘’craftsmen street’’. Some craftsmen are even receiving customers from time to time in the premises of Vickermann & Stoya who are often having trunk shows with a bespoke tailor for example. I personally see Vickermann & Stoya as a center of luxury and craftsmanship in Baden-Baden.
Never a dull moment at the shoemakers of the Black Forest
Photo credits: Vickermann & Stoya
Innovation is another important key factor for Vickermann & Stoya. Bespoke shoemaking might be an old craft, it doesn’t mean it can be done in modern ways adjusted to the modern world. A good example is how Vickermann & Stoya anticipated on the trend of more people taking on a vegan lifestyle. For that matter they started also with the production of vegan shoes made from a plant-based leather. No synthetic material but a high-quality natural source that suits to the level that bespoke shoemaking is considered in. And when it comes to innovation, Vickermann & Stoya also found their way into technology. Since a collaboration with two students Vickermann & Stoya started with MODUM shoes. A concept that is able to offer bespoke shoes at more affordable prices thanks to digital technology like a measure and design app and 3D printing lasts. Shoes can then also be produced in a factory which makes the price even more friendly and very attractive for beginners in the bespoke world who can grow up to the fully handmade level. Of course, the handmade bespoke shoe workshop remains beside this and will always be the pearl of the shoemaking house.
When we come to the shoes itself from Vickermann & Stoya there is never a dull moment. During my many visits to the atelier I’ve seen shoes from various types of materials and even vegan shoes as I mentioned before. I think for that matter they honour the word ‘’bespoke’’ in the highest form. Every customer’s wish is fulfilled, and you are yourself the designer when you have a pair of shoes made. The combination of perfect with the exact design you had in mind is what makes bespoke such a marvellous experience. And if you are worried about maintenance on the longer term the Baden-Baden shoemaking house might have a solution for you on that point as well. They do since many years a great deal of shoe-repairs and maintenance, not only for shoes made in their workshop by the way. As we know it with watches and cars, maintenance is equally important for good shoes and the better they are maintained the longer they last. After all, you buy a pair of bespoke shoes to wear them still in 20 years.
Visiting Vickermann & Stoya
As the House has obviously a good feeling with the material leather, one can also find handmade leather goods made by Vickermann & Stoya. Lovely items like wallets, bags, and cardholders are available in their atelier as well as online. Of course, a wide range of shoe-care products is also available, and the owners and staff are happy to advice you on that.
If you are not living close to Baden-Baden it might be worth checking out their itinerary for the trunk shows they host all along Germany and Switzerland. But honestly speaking a trip to Baden-Baden for visiting Vickermann & Stoya is more than worth it. If you contact Matthias Vickermann before he’d be happy to advice you on restaurants, hotels and of course all kinds of shops. Matthias Vickermann is chairman of the Baden-Baden retailers, so he knows the shopping scene like no other.
For more information on Vickermann & Stoya a look on their website might be a good idea: www.vickermannundstoya.de
