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Melbourne’s got sole — and she’s showing it off. In backstreet studios and light-filled ateliers, a new generation of shoemakers is rewriting the rules of cool. From habbot’s Italian-made elegance with a Melbourne edge to Post Sole Studio’s sustainable flair, these limited-run labels feel more art than accessory.
Each pair tells a story: design-led, slow-made, impossibly chic. They’re built for people who know that confidence starts at street level — and that great shoes aren’t shouted about, they’re noticed. Step inside the city’s most stylish secret: Melbourne’s homegrown footwear scene is quietly walking circles around the rest.
Post Sole Studio
Inside an old orthotics workshop in Abbotsford, Post Sole Studio is retooling Melbourne’s idea of slow fashion — and giving it better shoes. Founder Breeze Powell takes a sculptor’s eye to footwear, crafting clean, architectural silhouettes from dead-stock and vegetable-tanned leathers. Every pair is made in-house, in small batches that feel more like limited editions than production runs. It’s sustainability without the sermon — shoes that wear their ethics lightly.
Sitchu Pick: The City Shoe Burgundy Shine — a polished, androgynous classic with a high-gloss finish and serious attitude. It’s business up front, but always makes time for a Negroni after hours.
DIRT
Born from Bali’s creative pulse and Perth’s coastal ease, DIRT is where sculptural design meets subversive glamour. Founders Andrea and Sarah fuse their cross-continental roots into glossy boots, bubble-soled mules and slingbacks that blur the line between rebellion and refinement. Each pair feels like wearable art: bold, tactile and beautifully offbeat. Designed in Melbourne and made for the fearless, DIRT walks the line between art and attitude — shoes built to turn pavement into a stage.
Sitchu Pick: The Slingbacks in Ochre — sleek, sculptural, and quietly commanding.
E Nolan x E’Clisse
When Melbourne tailoring house E Nolan meets Italian shoemaker L’Eclisse, the result is sartorial alchemy. This collaboration marries northern Italy’s exquisite craftsmanship with Melbourne’s razor-sharp minimalism — shoes that feel as enduring as they are elegant. Crafted in Marche, the collection reimagines timeless silhouettes through a lens of ease and sophistication: moccasins in supple eel-skin, low T-bars that glide from boardroom to bar, and slingbacks that seem made for marble foyers and midnight walks home. It’s modern femininity with polish and purpose.
Sitchu Pick: T-Bar Heel in Olive Satin with Contrast Olive Nappa Leather — a sculptural silhouette for those fluent in understated glamour and quiet intent.
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habbot
Designed in Melbourne and handcrafted in Italy, habbot is the label proving that sensible shoes don’t have to be boring. Founder Annie Abbott has built her empire on bold colour, buttery leather, and silhouettes that flirt between classic and statement. There’s something inherently joyful about her designs — sculptural heels, gleaming loafers, a pop of unexpected hue — shoes made for women who stride, not tiptoe. Each pair walks the tightrope between comfort and charisma, giving “everyday wear” the confidence of couture. Melbourne design, Italian precision — a match made in shoe heaven.
Sitchu Pick: Zambo in Navy — a chisel-toed pump with dual burgundy straps and gold arrowhead buckles. A habbot classic.
Nelson Made
Simplicity, sculpted. Nelson Made proves that restraint can still turn heads. From a light-filled Melbourne studio, each piece is crafted with purpose — limited runs, buttery leathers, and silhouettes that slip effortlessly from weekday polish to weekend ease. Founder Jamie Nelson’s ethos of mindful design runs through every sole and seam, delivering quiet confidence without the excess. These are shoes built to last — timeless, tactile, and endlessly wearable.
Sitchu Pick: Dia Mini in Black — a sleek slip-on thong in buttery nappa with a low kitten heel and round toe. Effortless, elegant, forever chic.
Bared Footwear
Born from podiatrist Anna Baird’s vision to make shoes as kind to your feet as they are to the planet, Bared Footwear has become one of Melbourne’s quiet success stories. Each pair fuses timeless design with biomechanical smarts — arch support, cushioned soles and sculpted silhouettes that feel as good as they look. From polished leather boots to strappy heels and sneakers built for long weekends, Bared redefines comfort as something effortlessly cool — design-led, ethically made and destined for real life, not just the runway.
Sitchu Pick: Surfbird in Poppy Red Leather — bright, bold and built for comfort. These podiatrist-designed ballet flats pair supple leather with Bared’s signature support, because everyday shoes deserve to stand out too.
Radical Yes
For women who move — and look damn good doing it — Radical Yes is Melbourne’s answer to flat-shoe liberation. Founded by designer Kerryn Moscicki, the label builds footwear for real life: chic, comfortable, and entirely uncompromising. Sculptural loafers, bold Mary Janes, plush sneakers and slip-ons dance between art and utility. Designed in North Melbourne with a fearless sense of ease, Radical Yes rejects the idea that beauty requires pain — showing that flats can carry just as much power as heels ever did.
Sitchu Pick: Badu Square Toe Leather Mule in Toffee Ripple — sleek, form-driven and effortlessly modern. With its square toe and fluid silhouette, this mule brings Radical Yes’s signature blend of comfort and cool to every step.
ESSĒN
Quiet luxury with a pulse. ESSĒN is the Melbourne-born label turning minimalism into an art form — timeless, tactile and unapologetically refined. Founded by Marre Muijs, the brand sketches from Melbourne and handcrafts in Italy, Portugal and Spain, where every seam earns its place. The result? Shoes stripped of noise but rich in nuance — soft leathers, sculpted lines, and silhouettes that whisper confidence. ESSĒN doesn’t follow fashion’s tempo; it rewrites it — slow, sustainable, and effortlessly chic from sole to soul.
Sitchu Pick: The Evening Sandal in Chocolate is minimalist perfection with a sensual edge. Crafted in Italy from supple nappa leather, its barely-there straps and memory-foam sole balance elegance with ease. The soft chocolate hue offers an elevated twist on classic black.
From handcrafted heels to consciously made flats, Melbourne’s shoe scene is hitting its stride — bold, design-led, and unmistakably original. Whether chasing comfort, chasing craftsmanship, or craving a touch of quiet luxury, these labels show that great style always begins from the ground up. Discover more local makers and jewellers at Sitchu Melbourne.
