Stitching a mocassin
Preparing the lasts for a custom made pair of shoes
Leather apron worn by the master shoemakers
Calf-skin from the Alps
Tools and patterns
Wooden lasts
The famous Mohawk mocasins
Crocodile leather Greve Shoes
A portrait of the Founding Father Hermanus Greve
On the outskirts of Waalwijk, once the shoe capital of Holland, you'll find the shoe factory of Greve.
Hermanus Greve opened here his shoemaker's shop in1898. His workshop had only one goal: To make the Netherlands’ most stylish and superior shoes. Greve therefore always remained one of the smaller workshops in Langstraat, yet simultaneously the most exclusive. Today’s firm is still very much reminiscent of its rich history. The family business is currently run by one of the fourth generation of Greves, Jos Jan Greve.
At this very moment there are still 6 master shoemakers working at the Greve Factory in Waalwijk. I had the pleasure to meet 2 of them, both working for the brand as long as 30 years.
They told me there was a time in the 80s that the Mohawk moccasin had a delivery time of 9 months, because of it's popularity.
Today, they make your custom made shoes, It starts with a visit to the workshop in Waalwijk, where they will measure your feet and produce a last which perfectly matches your foot and your personal preferences. You have a choice of numerous Greve models, types of leather, lining, finishes and personal touches, up to and including embellishing the shoes with your initials. Your custom-made shoes are then manufactured entirely by hand.
