Omelchuck

How did you get into making shoes?

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I used to look at shoes online obsessively. I could spend six to nine hours a day on Farfetch and other sites. I was inspired by designers such as Maison Martin Margiela and Rick Owens, and I thought it would be cool to do something of my own. I was living in Russia then, in Vladivostok, and I decided to talk my way into a shoemaker’s studio, to work for free as an assistant so that I could be taught how to make shoes. That was in September 2019. I worked with a master cobbler for six months and in that time I made one pair of boots. But shoes were still a kind of hobby then:

 

I had a day job in an office. So I decided to move to Moscow, where I signed on at a factory that made footwear for theatre shows. But I had only been there a week when they started drafting men for the war in Ukraine. I had to go abroad, to Kazakhstan, and I have been living in Almaty for two and half years now. When I moved here, I wrote to a clothing designer from St. Petersburg called Dmitry. It turned out that he was also in Almaty. So we made friends, and rented a house together, Dmitry helped me get started. I made the shoes; he dyed them and sold them. We took our first order in December 2022. Now I work alone, designing and sewing my own models.

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What is it that you like so much about making shoes and boots?

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When I began studying, I came across avant-garde footwear designers such as Boris Bidjan Saberi and Leon Emanuel Blanck. I was really hooked, and I started hating sneakers, which all of a sudden looked very boring by comparison. I don't understand how anyone can wear Nike or Adidas when there Boris Bidjan in the world. And I felt that I could make some cool, eye-catching shoes of my own.

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You mentioned you live and work in Kazakhstan, what is the fashion scene like there? Also in Moscow when you lived there?

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Тhere are people in Moscow who dress beautifully. It seems to me that Moscow is much like Europe, in that there are fans of avant-garde fashion, of all kinds of styles and movements. Here in Kazakhstan things area bit simpler. I’d say there are maybe five strong designers trying to push fashion forward but it's not popular. So, I have a sheepskin coat that Dmitry made for me. It has lots of rips in it and shredded bits hanging off it. When I was out and about in Almaty wearing the coat, people would stick their heads out of car windows to stare wide-eyed at me, like I was a walking scarecrow. I remember once I was on my way to the workshop and some guy came up to me and told me not to dress like that in Kazakhstan, or else. I’d add that the war has meant that lots of young Russians have moved here, people of various outlooks and orientations and genders. Because of that, the difference has become less noticeable.​

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How has being in Kazakhstan influenced your work?

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Kazakhstan has not really had a strong influence on me or my work, but I’ve found really high-quality materials here. They are cheaper than in Europe because prices are generally lower. The materials come in basic colors - blue, black, yellow - and I've learned how to process them so as to get the shoes I want out the other end of the process, like sweeties off a production line.

 

Where did the concept for the “TLAL8” come from? What is the thinking behind those ragged edges and unstitched hems?

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The design is called TLAL8 because the letters stand for the English words ‘torn’, ‘layered’, ‘alkaline’, ‘lacquered’ – and then the figure eight, which looks like the sign for infinity. The design started with an order from a young woman in Russia. She is a composer, and she wanted some shoes for her birthday. She sent a sketch of what she had in mind. I reworked it and then added torn edges just for style. She was absolutely delighted with the result, and I realized that I had a very strong design, so I started making it in every color of the rainbow. I also use all sorts of leather too: crocodile, horse, goat. This is my favorite design and I never grow tired of it. It accounts for 95% of my orders. I even kept a pair for myself.

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Why Infinity?

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Infinity because there are lots of torn edges, there’s lots of alkali, lots of lacquer. I take the shoe and straight away soak it in alkali, then in lacquer. To dry the shoes takes four or five days. Infinity is a reminder of the process and of the number of details in the design.

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Where do you source your materials?​

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From Kazakhstan mostly. Rare materials I get from Italy. For example I buy shell cordovan – which is a refined

horse leather – from the Chloe factory. Carol Christian Poell (‘CCP’) uses it in his shoes too.

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You use amazing colours for your boots. What's the process for that?

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I have various tricks and techniques of my own to make the finishes. For example, I know that if you paint the shoes first with varnish, then pour alkaline on top, the varnish creates a crackled effect. I can then heat the shoes with a hairdryer, and the cracks become more visible.

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How do you ensure the comfort and durability of your shoes?

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I use a last that is custom-made by a master craftsman in Moscow. It is easy to work with. It has a well shaped heel and is broad in the toe. You could wear my shoes for years, and if they pick up scuffs and scratches along the way, that is in keeping with the style. The outward appearance changes, but it has no effect on their durability

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Where do you find your customers?

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I just run my Instagram account and post my shoes there. I also sell on Lowheads.com. I think a strong product will always find a buyer. I’ve never advertised or tried to find my target audience on Instagram. Clients find me.

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You have cool looking dust bags with zips that go from one corner to the other. Are these hand-made as well? What else comes with a pair of boots?​

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Yes, I make the dust bags myself. With every order, I dye the fabric and sew on the zip. With every pair of boots, the customer also receives two pairs of laces, one long one short, and a pair of soft insoles which consists of two layers of leather with foam between. I don’t publicise this on my Instagram, but if I have good relationship with a client, I also give a leather ring as a gift.

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Are you stocked in any retail spaces?

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No, I am not yet represented in boutiques. I really want to break into the boutique scene in Europe though. I have been talking to a French boutique, but we haven’t agreed on the details yet. I am also featured on the website Granhetal.com, which is an online boutique based in London.

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Do you see yourself making other products such as clothes or bags?

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I don’t deal with clothes, but I know for sure that I can make bags and hats and other kinds of headgear. I have been experimenting with making leather helmets. I could also make smaller leather objects, like those rings.

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How would you deal with bigger orders– if, say, a company wanted to make a bulk order of ten pairs ?

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My partner Sergey Popov from Russia helps me with large orders.

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Do you do all the work yourself? Or do you have someone to help with the production process?​

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I sew all the shoes myself. But lately I have had lots of orders, so I found someone called Sergei Popov in Russia, in the city of Bryansk. He stretches the uppers on the last and attaches the soles for me. He is a remarkable craftsman. He fixes the soles by making a series of holes with an awl then hammering in little wooden pegs. He doesn’t use thread. It is a very ancient technique, and it is the way that top Italian masters such as Dimissianos & Miller do it.

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Final question, do you have any goals for 2025?

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I’d be glad of the chance to work with cool people, with designers in Europe or America. I think, as a Russian, I will always be better off in Russia, amongst my own people, because I understand them. I really want to travel round Europe, visit the USA, and see the world.​

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19/06/2025