Free Foot Measuring in Chicago

Chicago & nearby suburbs

We come to your home or office.

Handmade leather dress shoes, built on your own measurements. I'm Imam, the founder of Shoescoo. I come to your home, your office or a coffee shop, measure your feet and bring the shoes for you to try on. No cost and no obligation to buy.

Shoemaker at work in the Shoescoo family workshop

How it works

Apply below and pick two times that work for you.
We confirm your visit by text or email.
We meet for 20 to 30 minutes: we measure length, width and girth, you try the models in your size and ask anything.

At the visit you can

Try our oxfords, derbies and loafers in your size.
Order a standard size ($219) or custom fit built on your measurements (+$80). If a custom-fit pair doesn't fit, we remake it once, free.
Take two pairs and get 15% off both. Custom fit in a bundle is $40 instead of $80.

Every pair is made to order in our family workshop in Gaziantep and arrives in about 3 weeks.

Visit times

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:30 AM or 11:00 AM
Tuesday, Thursday: 9:30 AM
Saturday and Sunday: no visits

Apply for a visit

Full name *

Phone (for text confirmation) *

Email *

ZIP code *

Where should we meet? *

First choice *

Second choice *

Which week? *

What are you looking for?

Your usual shoe size (if you know it)

Anything else we should know?

We use your details only to arrange your visit. Visits are within about 25 miles of Des Plaines.

How it works — Shoescoo

Made after you order. Built for you.

No warehouse. No middlemen. And nobody guessing your size — including you.

Four steps, one of them unusual

How it works

You order

Pick the style and your usual US size. Nothing exists yet — no stock, no warehouse. Your pair starts the moment you order it.

We confirm your fit before we cut leather

This is the part most brands skip. Within a day of your order, you get an email from us asking for two measurements. If your usual size isn't the right size for this last, we catch it here — not after the box arrives. Want a pair built on a last made from your own measurements? Choose Custom fit (+$80, 50% off in a bundle) and we make a new last for you.

FromImam at Shoescoo SubjectBefore we start on your Marquis Oxford

Thanks for your order. Before Tevfik cuts the leather, I want to make sure the size is right.

Could you send me two things?

Your foot length in cm, heel to longest toe, standing on paper
The brand and size of a dress shoe that fits you well today

I'll compare against our last and confirm your size, or suggest a different one if needed. Takes me a few minutes; production starts right after.

— Imam

Tevfik builds it

Cut, lasted and finished by hand in Gaziantep. Blake-stitched onto a kösele leather sole with a full leather lining, so a cobbler can resole it and you keep wearing it for years.

Hand-polishing a black dress shoe in the Gaziantep workshop

It arrives

About three weeks: roughly two at the bench, then tracked shipping. We pay every customs duty and import fee ourselves, so there is nothing to settle at the door.

Finished Marquis Oxford brown being inspected

“I have made shoes for forty years. A pair leaves this workshop when it is right — not before.”
Tevfik KarakuşMaster shoemaker, Gaziantep

40years at the bench

1workshop, family-run

0pairs made before they're ordered

The honest part

Why $219 and not $400

Made-to-order means no unsold stock to cover, no warehouse, no markdown season. Selling direct means nobody stands between the bench and your door. Everything that isn't the shoe is gone from the price.

Shoescoo $

Workshop

You

Traditional retail $$$$

Workshop

Sourcing agent

Brand

Distributor

Retailer

You

One price, all year. We don't run sales, because we never marked it up to begin with.

What every order includes

Free U.S. shippingTracked, from workshop to door

All duties coveredNothing to pay on delivery

Free size exchangeWe build the new pair, we cover shipping

1-year warrantyOn craftsmanship and materials

ResoleableBlake-stitched leather sole, any cobbler

Questions people actually ask

How do I know my size will fit?

You don't have to know. That's step 2 — after you order, we confirm your measurements before production starts. If it's still not right when it arrives, the size exchange is free and we build the new pair.

How long does it take?

About three weeks. Roughly two weeks of crafting, then tracked shipping. If you have a wedding or event, order at least four weeks ahead.

Will I pay customs or import fees?

No. We ship from Gaziantep and cover all duties and import taxes ourselves. The only tax that may apply is standard U.S. state sales tax, shown at checkout before you pay.

What sizes do you make?

US 7 to 14 on dress shoes, US 7 to 12.5 on leather sneakers, half sizes throughout.

Can they be resoled?

Yes. Blake-stitched construction with a leather sole means any cobbler can resole them when the time comes.

What if I want a refund instead of an exchange?

Within 30 days you can take store credit plus a $25 bonus, or a refund to your original payment method minus return shipping.