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The Singaporean shoemaker who crafts bespoke shoes under his own label
What began as a student's curiosity in London became a decade-long journey into the world of handcrafted men's shoes for Singaporean Tor Cheng Yao.
After graduating from university in London, Tor moved to Japan and trained under shoemaking masters, including Noriyuki Misawa and Yohei Fukuda.
From them, he learnt that true craftsmanship means refining every curve, every stitch – even the invisible ones.
Each bespoke Fumu shoe bears a hidden sakura motif – a nod to the impermanence of life, and the Japanese philosophy of kaizen that Tor now lives by.
From clumsy first attempts to gallery-worthy pieces, Tor's path has been shaped by quiet persistence and a willingness to begin again, shoe by shoe. Pictured on the left is Tor's first handmade Oxford shoe.
After nearly a decade abroad, Cheng Yao returned to Singapore earlier this year to launch Fumu.
Each bespoke pair from Fumu takes up to 130 hours to make, beginning with hand measurements and a wooden last carved to the client's foot. The wait? Up to a year.
Tor hopes to build a small, sustainable shoemaking industry in Singapore. "In Singapore, we're taught to follow a certain path: Study hard, get a good job. But my time in Japan showed me there are other ways to live," he said.
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