Rocco has been making hand made shoes in Melbourne for 40 of his 75 years.

Jet, The Strokes, The Dandy Warhols, Bon Jovi and The Rolling Stones are some of Rocco’s more high profile customers.

Thankfully Rocco doesn’t just favour rock stars.

I once took Rocco a picture from Vogue of a pair of Yohji Yamamoto ankle boots worth around a$1,000. Rocco made me an almost identical pair for $200.

Specialties seem to be cowboy boots and leather brogues, with a number of amazing pre-made pairs gracing the shelves, particularly some very snazzy loafers.

For those with more specific desires allow Rocco’s ‘sweet Italian Nona’ wife to trace both your feet to ensure custom fit and designate the colour of the leather, buckles, straps, and the best bit, the heel. Rocco makes a mad Cuban heel.

Shoes take up to three to four weeks as they are made with stringent love and care using irreplaceable 100-year-old presses, heelers and trimmers.

Word is Rocco’s son John is now the family business frontman. It makes me happy to think Rocco has a day or two to kick back and smoke a pipe (or whatever old Italian men enjoy doing) after all these years.

The shop is adorably old-fashioned. It has a Facebook page that appears to have launched in accordance with the opening of a new boutique for more modern designs next door.

The original store still has no website, no email and no phone. You will have to trace the footsteps, the face paint, the safety pins, the glitter, the long strands of greasy hair and the skull heads of rock stars to find dear old Rocco.

Or I’ll just tell you where it is.

Rocco’s Shoes
43 Station Street, Malvern
Mon – Fri: 10:00am-4:00pm
Sat: 09:30am-1:00pm

Details: Rocco’s Shoes