Today, there are still numerous people in prosperous Saigon linked to the conventional occupations of the ancestor and family for many years. Interestingly, it helps Saigon retain its true spirit of the city, as “the Pearl of the Far East”.
Among those, Mr Trinh Ngoc is famous for his skills and passion for bespoke shoe-making is Mr Trinh Ngoc, nearly 90 now, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
“Falling into” bespoke shoe-making
Mr Trinh Ngoc said that in 1945, he along with his family went to Cambodia to settle down and happened to explore a Vietnamese shoe factory. The bespoke shoes made by hand have captured the young man’s attention and interest which never appeared before. He then got some makers acquainted, observed and learnt from them.
Being fluent in 3 languages Chinese, English and French, Mr. Trinh Ngoc had the opportunity to meet many foreigners. Several times when someone asked him to make up their exotic shoes, he realized that foreign shoes had good quality and eye-catching designs. Hence, he began to research and taught himself how to make high-standard shoes.
“So as to have a pretty pair of shoes, the maker must have knowledge of mold, toe, design, sole… That’s the reason why I had to sign up for a shoe design course in Europe. I studied for 4 years to have a full understanding of shoe-making like contours and parameters of the mold; the structure of the feet to avoid the pain when using…” – Mr. Ngoc confessed.
According to Mr. Trinh Ngoc, a good-quality pair of shoes must prioritize the smoothness and comfort to avoid being callous or unpleasant smell. Besides, the outside design is also crucial, so the maker needs to put the heart and mind into every detail of his product. He also said that in addition to respecting the figures, shoes also speak a person out. If you want to know how a person is, look at the shoes they are wearing.
In the 1950s, Mr Trinh Ngoc opened a renowned Duc Phat shoe store throughout the capital Phnom Penh, preferred and favoured by the Elite and Cambodian politicians at that time. He was chosen by the Cambodian Royal Family as the shoemaker for kings, queens, crown princes, princesses and other princes… As a result, Mr Trinh Ngoc’s reputation began to gain.
His bespoke shoe-making from scratch in Vietnam
Catching up on quickly, the memory and love for his homeland still urged him to come back home. In 1970, Mr Trinh Ngoc decided to return to Vietnam and started over from scratch. “I love the smell of leather, appreciate every product and have never intended to quit my job” – the old artisan told us.
Oriented from the start to conquer the middle segmentation, every time he finished the product, he displayed it at big and famous commercial centers at that time such as Tax Trade Center, Crystal Palace and some foreign stores in the downtown area. Mr. Trinh Ngoc’s shoes are often deposited together with foreign shoes because they are highly appreciated and admired.
Many famous Vietnamese artists have fallen in love with shoes made by Mr Trinh Ngoc. For each customer, Mr Trinh Ngoc particularly remembers their preferences, requirements as well as their feet traits to create the most suitable and beautiful shoes.
Mr Trinh Ngoc said “It’s an ill bird that fouls its own nest, so the shoes must hide the flaws, at the same time show the beauty of the legs. That is the only way to be successful.”
Putting heart and soul into bespoke shoe-making, not for the money
Artisan Trinh Ngoc confided: “Having been with foreigners, I understand that Western customers come to local shops because Vietnamese products are always skillful and sophisticated. However, the sad thing is that while foreigners believe in using Vietnamese products, many Vietnamese people have a preference for foreign shoes… “.
Some people often say Mr Trinh Ngoc has a “problem” because he has rejected many attractive contracts which are invested by big corporations. Mr Trinh Ngoc said there is a corporation which invited him to collaborate to open a shoe factory. “This unit wants to spend 5 million USD to open a shoe factory in Vietnam for export. They are in charge of capital, input and product output. And I take care of vocational training for employees and makers. At the same time, I was offered an additional share of more than $80,000 in the corporation, but I refused. My happiness is being with my customers, making shoes for them, not just for profit. And until this day, I have never regretted the decisions I made at that time”.
For him, a professional bespoke shoemaker must know how to create beautiful patterns and a good carpenter enough to mold wood molds according to foot size. An artisan must let his soul into each product, work for the passion and the customers. If you let money control you, you can’t succeed in the end.
Mr Trinh Ngoc regrets that there is no one to teach the profession that he has accumulated during his life. His children all have their own careers and are not related to shoemaking. There are also many “learners” who come to his house to learn how to make bespoke shoes, but they only know enough to make a few types and then sell to earn money. Mr Trinh Ngoc said, in any professions or any fields, those who want to do the most of their job must come with their heart, show their creativity and be willing and open-minded to modern times to be successful.
If you have a chance of getting to Ho Chi Minh City, why don’t you visit Mr Trinh Ngoc’s factory and listen to his sincere confession?
