about us
Ruslan Allayev has been creating handmade shoes for almost his entire life. He grew up in Tadzhikistan (then part of Russia), where his father worked as a master shoemaker. Ruslan worked as his father's apprentice from age 7, learning how to make and repair all kinds of shoes and boots. In 1976, Ruslan started his own business in Tadzhikistan and later went to Moscow, where he did a great deal of work for actors, entertainers, and the fashion industry.
Ruslan opened his New York store in 1994, in the heart of the Garment District. He continues to create classic shoes and accessories, as well as designer pieces for the theater, musical performers, and fashion magazines. Besides shoes and boots, Ruslan makes wallets, belts, watch bands, bracelets, handbags, portfolios, and hats out of leather; he also does repairs of all kinds. He specializes in exotic skins such as alligator, python, and ostrich. All of his pieces are made by hand, one at a time, in the Old World way.
In August 2007 The Weekly Newspaper of Chelsea called Ruslan a "King of custom-made". Click here to read more…
