Our Story.
Born in the city of Manchester, England, Meanforme is dedicated to crafting unique, very well-made footwear. Our passionate team brings together decades of experience in footwear design, engineering, and manufacturing.
Our journey began with the launch of our first product, the Risedale boot. Crafting this boot was no small feat—it required meticulous engineering and very slow and steady manufacturing. But the result was well worth the effort. Risedale set the tone for our brand, combining classic shoe design elements from the past with premium materials.
Since then, we have expanded our range to include two more styles, Hambleton and Hipswell. Each of these designs continues to embrace the essence of timeless shoe craftsmanship as seen in Risedale. Yes-we believe that shoemaking is an art form—a hands-on process that demands attention to every detail and a commitment to using only the finest materials.
A Mean forme.
The term “Mean forme” harks back to tradition. In the early days of shoemaking, a “mean forme” served as the foundation for creating upper patterns. It was a paper tape silhouette of the shoe last (the shape of the shoe) applied to pattern paper. The quality of a shoe’s fit and finish depended on the precision of this forme. While technology has evolved, we remain true to our roots, using hand-engineered forme’s and traditional methods to create footwear that stands the test of time.
We will continue to make all our footwear using only the highest quality materials and components, and to continue to use traditional shoe making methods where possible. This traditional approach to our shoe making starts with our hand engineered Mean forme and the shoe patterns hand cut from it.
