As a young boy, David Kelly’s father made him a pair of shiny new oxford boots. And being a young boy, David soon grew out of those boots, and watched them get handed down to his younger brothers. Learning the trade from his father, David followed in his footsteps, and continued the tradition by making his own son a pair of boots to run amuck in. At that point David realised – his son was the only little boy he knew with a pair of handmade shoes, and that nobody else knew who made their shoes. And from there, Brothers Footwear was born.

Working out of a studio on Arthur Street in Fortitude Valley, Brothers Footwear crafts handmade footwear and leather accessories for men, women and children. Each shoe is created by Brothers from start to finish, from drawing the design to selecting the leather, hand cutting that leather and attaching and trimming the sole. The upper leather of the shoes are sewn together using the same machine David’s father used, then attached to the inner soul using a World War Two-era sewing machine. David even makes and prints the shoe bags for the final product himself. And the aim? To bring back David’s heritage. To bring back local craftsmanship, and make handmade leather goods available to anyone and everyone. You can nab yourself your own handmade leather treat from the Brothers Footwear online store.