Arthur Sleep Brings Bespoke British Shoemaking Into a New Era
Founded in London in 2013 by Christopher Boadle and Jahangir Azam, Arthur Sleep is bringing a highly personal approach to British shoemaking, combining traditional craftsmanship with precision technology to create footwear designed around the individual.
At the heart of the London footwear house is a simple idea: a shoe that exists for one person.
Each bespoke commission begins with a precision scan of the client’s feet. From this data, Arthur Sleep machines an individual last based on the exact geometry of each foot. Clients then select the silhouette, leather, color and construction before the shoes are made by hand at the company’s London factory.
Alongside its bespoke commissions, Arthur Sleep also produces a ready-to-wear collection in deliberately limited quantities.
Reviving London’s Shoemaking Tradition
When Boadle and Azam founded Arthur Sleep, they encountered a British craft industry that had dramatically contracted. The company’s earliest collections were produced with the help of some of the few remaining shoemakers across England, including craftspeople who came out of retirement to work on the shoes.
That experience ultimately shaped the founders’ ambitions for the company.
In 2017, Arthur Sleep established its own production in East London’s Lea Valley, marking the first shoe production in London in 70 years. Five years later, the company brought production into central London, opening a working shoe factory beneath Savile Row where visitors could watch craftspeople at work.
In 2024, Arthur Sleep opened its boutique on Mount Street in Mayfair. Production subsequently moved to the restored Fred Perry Building on Bridport Road, a 1930s factory that now serves as the permanent home of the brand’s shoemaking operations.
The facility represents more than a manufacturing base. Arthur Sleep is also using it to train a new generation of shoemakers, with the goal of keeping the craft active rather than simply preserving its history.
Technology Meets Handcraft
Technology plays an important role in Arthur Sleep’s interpretation of bespoke shoemaking.
Every commission begins with a scan accurate to fractions of a millimeter. A separate last can then be created according to the geometry of each of the client’s feet.
Rather than replacing traditional craftsmanship, the founders see the technology as a way of giving shoemakers more time to concentrate on making the finished product.
“The scan does in minutes what once took years of trial and error,” the house explains. “It doesn’t replace the shoemaker, it gives them back their time. Every hour the technology saves is an hour spent making.”
Once a client’s measurements are recorded, Arthur Sleep maintains a digital fit record that can be used for future commissions.
A Shoe Designed for One Person
Arthur Sleep’s bespoke service gives clients extensive freedom over the finished design, from traditional dress shoes to velvet slippers, sneakers and boots.
The result is a model of luxury centered on individuality rather than uniformity. Each bespoke pair is made according to the client’s measurements and personal design decisions.
Arthur Sleep has attracted an international clientele spanning entertainment, fashion, sport and British public life. The Times has previously cited clients including Prince William, A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton and Robert De Niro.
For the founders, the variety of that clientele reinforces the concept behind the company: there is no single Arthur Sleep customer because there is no single Arthur Sleep shoe.
Bespoke and Ready-to-Wear
While bespoke remains at the center of the house, Arthur Sleep offers two ways to experience the brand.
Its commissioned footwear is created individually around the measurements and preferences of each client. Its ready-to-wear collection, meanwhile, presents Arthur Sleep’s own designs in intentionally small quantities.
Both are produced around the company’s emphasis on craftsmanship, longevity and limited production.
“The most sustainable shoe is the one that fits, because a pair that fits is a pair that is kept, worn for years, and brought back for more,” the house states. “We make to commission or in small numbers, and we build everything to outlast the season it was made in.”
Building a Modern British Footwear House
More than a decade after its founding, Arthur Sleep operates between its Mount Street boutique in Mayfair and its London factory at the Fred Perry Building.
Azam leads areas including commercial strategy, wholesale partnerships and creative direction, while Boadle has focused on the company’s manufacturing model and the integration of precision scanning with traditional shoemaking.
Together, the founders have sought to create a contemporary luxury house while rebuilding a manufacturing tradition that had nearly disappeared from London.
Their ambition can be summarized in Arthur Sleep’s own words: “We are building the world’s most personal luxury company.”
For more information, visit arthursleep.com or follow @arthursleepshoes.