Keiko Hirosue-Korolev

My home is located in Brooklyn, New York, a bike-able distance to my studio in Williamsburg. My son went to elementary and middle school in the East Village, so having the studio right in between my home and his school made sense to me when I was looking for space ten years ago. Balancing my family and my two business-babies can be extremely difficult at times when both need so much energy. This close proximity has allowed me to have the option to go to my son’s school activities or take time off if he’s sick, without hesitation, which is essential to me.

Brooklyn Shoe Space, our co-working studio space, is currently located at 224 Roebling Street between S 2nd and S 3rd in Williamsburg. We love being on the south side of Williamsburg—not on the main street, but close enough to everything happening and one stop from Manhattan. Having a storefront versus a studio upstairs in an industrial building (like we had previously) allows us to be accessible and welcoming for new members to find us.

BK Shoe Factory operates out of Hoboken, New Jersey–right on the other side of Manhattan and Loyal Footwear, our factory-direct to consumer brand, is designed and constructed within the factory. The factory is a sample room size factory, run by all women-shoemakers and artisans. Loyal Footwear was launched through BK Shoe Factory to make a line of vegan-cruelty-free footwear using micro-fiber materials and pineapple fibers, as well as, to fabricate and manufacture small quantities of shoes for multiple other brands. We are still researching and experimenting with other materials. We make to order, and it’s great that we can do that.

I grew up far from New York in Tsujido, near Yokohama in Japan, the youngest of three sisters. The desire to make things came from being around my creative sisters and grandma who made everything—from clothes to amazingly delicious, time-consuming meals. My grandpa, who developed and printed his photography into the wee hours, was a skilled woodworker, amazing knife sharpener and recreational gardener in their tiny space in Tokyo. He was another strong creative influencer in my life.

Being a Girl Scout in Japan played a big role too, as we did crafty handwork. The public school systems required us to design, sew, build and make stuff all of the time. I realized later in life how even the art of Origami paper folding, a part of our culture, trained our hands to be so nimble while granting us an eye for precision.

I don’t know if it’s with all girls, but I had a love for shoes from a very young age. I had many favorites including red patent leather Mary Janes, white cowboy boots with shearling at the top for winter, a pair of beautiful leather hiking boots that inspired monk strap shoes and some awesome sneakers—I don’t even recall the actual brand. I owe this great diversity in childhood shoes to my parents who saw and appreciated good shoes. I never got to wear the Japanese anime character plastic-y shoes that everyone had though, which I did envy when I was little. And yes, I wore Reebok classic sneakers too.

My passion for shoes likely stems from my dad who is a shoe-lover and has both custom and ready-made shoes. He takes great care of all pairs. He would take us shopping, not for us, but for him, to “learn what good, well-made products are”. Growing up in Japan, we had access to fun shapes and colors, but they all were designed to fit Asian feet. There were, of course, times when I was fascinated by Italian imported shoes, though they were too narrow for my feet! And, stores, unfortunately, didn’t carry as many fun colors.

If they were fun, they were cheap shoes that would only last a season, and if they were well-made shoes, they were either black, brown or cognac. That was about it. So, creating your own shoes, to your own vision, really made sense to me. I started out making shoes that I wanted. It may not work for mass-market, but it would work for me. And, this was my beginning.

Growing up in Japan, and seeing the smaller businesses thrive, I think it was a natural inclination for me to start my own business if I had a good idea or product. I started my shoemaking endeavor in 2003 with taking a class called “Fetish Shoemaking” taught by Emily Putterman. I followed her class around for a few years to make different types of shoes in a variety of classes. She taught in a way that you can make at home. So, I made shoes at home for a while, making a mess in the bathtub, collecting scraps, rinsing off and tidying the dust as I went along. Then, I learned from a local shoe repair guy who let me sit in at his shop on weekends to watch his staff work. I soon realized equipment helped in making better shoes, so I started acquiring machines. And, once I had the machines, I couldn’t just let them sit in the basement, so I rented space in an artist loft building right by Williamsburg. This was the first location and the initial beginning of Brooklyn Shoe Space.

When the shoes fit like gloves (well, actually shoes should fit like shoes) it elevates your standards 100%.

I kept on making shoes and eventually, made a line of shoes overseas, selling them to stores and at markets. I missed the actual making of shoes, however, and decided I’d make my shoes in the US. I found, however, that there were no US factories that would take on a small shoe collection. There weren’t many vendors left to support the industry. The only shoe factories that were left back then were the men’s specific types of Americana shoes, dress, boots, moccasins and loafers.

Having now a background in apparel, produced both locally and overseas, I saw the benefits of having a sample room and factory in close proximity to the designer. And, from the lacking resources for shoemakers, I was determined to become a resource for both beginners and experienced shoemakers and designers alike. I acquired additional equipment and opened up my studio to other shoemakers and students where I’d let them come to create and work on their craft. From there, I started teaching shoemaking classes and sharing my knowledge of what I’d learned.

I apprenticed with an Arsutoria method pattern-maker, Eustace Robinson, for a half a year making different patterns every week. I also apprenticed with Marcel Mrsan, a master bespoke shoemaker— I learned gems of tips from him! I made my first handsewn, hand-welted men’s shoes with him. I learned from other shoemakers I met along the way such as Chris Coulthrust and Dani Zambrano from T.O. Dey who shared their added knowledge and shoemaking tips. I keep learning today from fellow shoemakers like Yuji Okura, who’s a member at the space, as well as, his mentor, Toshiyuki Misawa, who occasionally visits from Japan continuing to color and further my experience.

I get inspired by every single motivated individual—whatever their medium. My business partner at the BK Shoe Factory, Rebecca Heykes, has a background in industrial design and training from Cordwainers College of Fashion in London. She is the designer for Loyal Footwear, and I admire her ability to take both existing components and tools that the factory has to adopt a contemporary design to it and whip out samples.

There are a lot of talented shoemakers who work in the Brooklyn Shoe Space. I meet fellow entrepreneurs, and they inspire me with the energy they have, including Elizabeth Ingham-Brooke who trained in London; Lorna Nixon, who trained in London as well, for bagmaking. I learn something new from them every day, as they are often regularly experimenting and open to sharing their new findings.

I created a job that I love, and every day I learn something new. I’m passionate and optimistic about the future of shoemaking and changing the footwear industry and the education that leads to it. This drives me in whatever I do.

In business, I have to enjoy what I’m doing, so my advise to other business entrepreneurs is to make sure it’s fun for you. Make sure it’s something you’ll never tire of learning. Be restless–continue to think of ways to grow your business and be organic in your process. Learn to let go of certain things—don’t blame yourself too much, as it can be counterproductive. Forgive yourself and move on. Learn from your mistakes. Be open to any feedback and most importantly, be prepared to hustle! In order to be really successful, you have to really, truly love what you do, and never stop learning from it.

At Brooklyn Shoe Space, we want to keep the community growing, but it’s a lot of work, and it takes time. Creating a community of talented shoemakers and leather makers has been my proudest accomplishment thus far. We are happy that the industry has also acknowledged our skills and has asked us to assist with big events and brings their staff to come and learn from us. While we all only go to college until our early 20s on average, we live way longer, so we are here to support alternative learning.