Lottusse – Made to order Spanish brogues, the perfect gift for guys!

In case you weren’t aware – Christmas is coming! And that means it’s time to start thinking about gift giving. As I was ticking off my Christmas list, I suddenly stopped at one name. My boyfriend’s. Now, it’s not that I don’t know what he likes or that I didn’t have any gift ideas, but I just couldn’t face getting yet another shirt/wallet/book… I wanted to get something a bit different, something personalised that would last a lifetime AND that he would actually use. So when I heard about Lottusse, a heritage Spanish Shoe Company that creates custom order brogues with their ‘Touche’ programme, I had to check it out. Could this be the perfect gift for guys?

I arranged an appointment at Lottusse with Yuji, who was very quick to respond and so accommodating and helpful. On the day, I sneakily took my boyfriend out for “lunch” with a quick stop off on the way. Conveniently located on Wellington Street, the little Lottusse showroom is very easy to get to and even though it’s in the middle of town, you feel like you’re miles away once you step in.

We were warmly welcomed by Yuji and he began to explain to us a bit about the history of Lottusse. I was fascinated to learn about the history of the brand, which was founded in 1877 in Mallorca, Spain (over 100 years ago). The founder, Antonio, even travelled from Spain to the U.K to learn how to make the best brogues, which was quite a substantial trip to make in those days. Since then, Lottusse have been producing the finest shoes in Spain, gathering a loyal following which includes some famous clients. This heritage brand has passed down the craft for generations… just watch the video below to get a sense of the history.

After filling us in on the background of the shoes, Yuji then announced it was time for ‘the fun part’. From a sleek leather case he produced an iPad, and we all sat down ready for the customising process, ‘Touche’ by Lottusse. Currently they only offer customisation on the ‘Walton’, a Derby brogue design for men, and the Oxford brogue design for women, but they have hopes to introduce more styles for customisation soon.

Yuji started by letting my boyfriend try on different sizes of the Derby brogue shoe to make sure he had the perfect fit. When we found the right size it was time to use the iPad…

The actual application used for the customisation is really amazing as you’re able to choose from a range of different colours for three different parts of the brogue and see the changes as you make them on the iPad. You can also choose the kind of sole that you want, and my boyfriend decided to go for a classic “Cuero” brown colour for the whole brogue with a hand-painted antique finish on the toe-caps and leather soles.

Yuji kindly showed us some samples of the leather too, so we could see what the colours looked like in real life (there are twelve colours in total to choose from). The forest green was really subtle and interesting, and the reds were bold and striking… very hard to choose from such a beautiful selection! Yuji also informed us that as all the shoes are hand painted, they can’t guarantee that the colour will be exactly the same every time. I love this fact, as it gives the shoes even more of a personalised touch and you can really get the sense of the craftsmanship that goes into them.

Next came my favourite part of the whole process – the personalised engraving on the sole of the shoe. This option just makes the shoes that much more special! It’s perfect as a really thoughtful gift and I think it would also be great for grooms-to-be. In fact, Yuji told us a story about a groom who had ‘Save Me’ printed onto the bottom of his brogues! Maybe not quite as romantic… ! Take a look at the video below which shows the whole process when the order actually gets to the factory.

After filling in delivery details, the process was complete! My boyfriend couldn’t have been happier and we couldn’t resist having a look at all the other shoes in the showroom, as well as the gorgeously soft coats that they also stock. The leather bags are also of the highest quality, and you just know that anything you buy from Lottusse is something you would have for life.

My personal favourites were the very Sassy pink brogues, which would look so cute with a little white dress or denim shorts for spring or summer! We also had a sneak peek at the leather colours for the new season that are inspired by the Mediterranean, and the blues and turquoise colours are really fresh and modern.

Overall, our experience at Lottusse was highly interesting, enjoyable, easy and memorable. The whole process is something that we’ll both remember and I know that when the shoes are delivered in two months, my boyfriend will be over the moon. We both walked out smiling from ear to ear and I can safely say that I have won the award for best Christmas present and best girlfriend! Though I’m now worried how I’m ever going to top this gift…

This is definitely somewhere I’d recommend for a special gift for guys, or just go and bag yourself a cheeky pair! The customisation is so original and brings something different to Hong Kong that you can’t usually find. The fine craftsmanship and the incredible service from Yuji make the whole experience really unforgettable – and you know the shoe will definitely fit!

Lottusse, 2/F, 10 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2351 4722 – you’re advised to call beforehand for appointments. www.lottusse.com