The First Shoe

 

Example of shoes the man designed

Jimmy Choo made his first shoe when he was 11. Whenever his father was working, Jimmy would take a look and secretly learned the skills and techniques. His father wouldn't let Jimmy make the shoes instead he asked Jimmy to sit and watch. 

"When I first started, my father wouldn’t let me make a shoe. Instead, he said: ‘Sit and watch, sit and watch.’ For months and months, I did that."
– Jimmy Choo

Before Jimmy went to London, he was one of the apprentice of a shoemaker named Wong Sam Chai, he was considered a very skilled shoemaker in Penang back in the days. Jimmy Choo graduated with honors in the year 1983 even though he had a rough time trying to manage his financials. He had to work in a restaurant and in a shoe factory as a cleaner for him to survive in London. Jimmy was considered as a notable student in that college and after he graduated he worked in a shoe factory. He met his wife, Datin Choo, here in London. She was also one of the students in that college. His wife is also a very talented shoe designer. During that time, Jimmy managed to learn more about production of shoes. His first footwear sold under the brand named Lucky Shoes around the year 1984. 


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