Process

The making

Every pair is built by hand, at the bench.

70+

handcrafted steps, from hide to finished pair

Every Ede pair begins in our family workshop in Gaziantep, Turkey — the same atelier where our family has been making shoes for three generations. No assembly lines, no shortcuts: each pair passes through the same hands from the first cut of leather to the final stitch.

Cutting buffalo leather soles by hand at the Ede atelier

A craftsman at the sewing bench in the Ede atelier

Hand-stitching the buffalo leather sole with the copper rivet in place

Inside the atelier

Ten stages, one bench

Cutting

The order is entered into the production list. Buffalo leather soles are cut, your logo is laser-engraved, and the traction pattern is heat-pressed in. Linings and uppers are cut by hand from full-grain hides we know by touch — from tanneries our family has worked with for decades.

Upper stitching

Leather edges are skived thin, the pieces are stitched together, and the lining is bonded and hammered into place. Lace holes, where a model has them, are opened by hand.

Lasting

The upper is pulled over the wooden last and fixed to the insole — pulling, hammering and coaxing the leather until the fit is exactly right. Our artisans learned this from their fathers, who learned it from theirs.

Sole bonding

The bonding area is sanded, the sole is pressed on, and the buffalo leather is trimmed by hand with a knife to follow the exact perimeter of that shoe. Then the shoe comes off the last.

Sole stitching

Waxed cotton thread, stitch holes opened by hand, and the traditional two-needle saddle stitch worked around the sole. It is slow and laborious — most modern shoemakers replaced it with glue long ago. We kept it, because it is what makes a pair last.

The copper rivet

A hole is punched by hand at the ball of the foot, a solid copper rivet is set, secured with a copper washer, trimmed, and hammered flat on the inside. Together with the leather sole it forms an unbroken conductive path from foot to ground — a property that can be measured with a multimeter. Built in by construction, not added as a coating.

Resting on the last

Every pair rests on the last for at least a full day, so the leather settles into its final shape rather than being rushed out of the workshop.

Quality check

Logo, size, upper stitching and sole stitching are each checked. Any dust marks from production are cleaned off, and the top and sole of every pair are photographed before it leaves the bench.

Packing

Wholesale cartons are packed with a contents list fixed to the box. Dropship pairs are wrapped in paper inside an unbranded shoe box, with a miniature leather shoe keyring added, then sealed and labelled.

Handover & tracking

The courier scans the parcel out of the workshop. We ship with UPS, FedEx or DHL Express — whichever serves your address best — and the tracking number is added to your order.

No two pairs alike

We use naturally tanned leather and nearly every part of the hide, so each pair carries gentle wrinkles and subtle colour variance. We think that is the point. With wear, every pair takes on a character that belongs to the person walking in it.

Glued and stitched

The sole is bonded under press, then hand-sewn through with waxed cotton thread. Bonding alone eventually lets go; stitching alone wears through at the thread. Together they hold. Beyond that: no assembly line, no synthetic linings, no rubber between the foot and the ground — and nothing produced in advance to sit in a warehouse. Every pair is cut for a specific order.

After your order

Two programs, two timelines.

Both are made to order by the same hands. What differs is scale — and we'd rather tell you exactly what to expect than leave you guessing.

Dropshipping

7 business days · production

Order receivedPayment confirmed, the pair enters the production list.
At the benchCut, stitched, lasted, soled and rivetted — within seven business days.
Checked & packedUnbranded box under your label, nothing pointing back to us.
On its wayHanded to the courier, tracking shared with you the same day.

Single pairs ship direct to your customer, DDP. Transit to the US and Europe typically takes a further six to seven days.

Wholesale

10–15 business days · production

Order receivedPayment confirmed. Your order is a firm list from this point — production starts without further approval, so please check every size line before checkout.
Scheduled into a runBecause every pair is handmade, cartons are produced in scheduled runs. We confirm the date your cutting begins — usually within seven business days.
Cutting beginsYou hear from us the day your leather is cut, with a photograph from the bench.
At the benchTypically ten to fifteen business days, depending on volume. You are updated as your carton moves through the stages.
Checked & packedEvery pair inspected, carton sealed with a contents list.
On its wayHanded to the courier, tracking added to your order.

During Turkish national holidays and the December peak this can run longer — we confirm your date at order.

Shipping

Free flat-rate DDP shipping to the United States and Europe — duties paid by us, no customs paperwork on your side. Shipping further afield? Additional freight of $20 or more per pair may apply; please write to partners@edeshoes.com before ordering.