Claire Best is a shoe maker, designer and teacher based in Melbourne, Australia. After enrolling in the Certificate IV in Custom Footwear at RMIT, she worked for many different shoe makers Australia wide and went on to establish a successful shoe making business. All production takes place in-house in the Brunswick workshop, with materials sourced from local manufacturers and suppliers. Her footwear is made by hand, with an emphasis on quality materials, craftsmanship, contemporary design and innovation. Each pair of shoes are made to order, with a three week make time prior to shipping or collection.
She specialises in playing on classic footwear forms with her unique range of hand painted shoes. Treating the leather as a drawing surface, these creations are a celebration of the one-off nature of the bespoke making process.
Claire’s designs are held in the permanent collections of fashion and textiles at both the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne and the Powerhouse Museum (MAAS) in Sydney, as well as being part of both ‘Melbourne Now’ and ‘200 Years of Australian Fashion’ at the NGV