Several workers are busy making shoes amid a hum of lively conversation and there is upbeat Chinese music playing on the radio.

You are in the premises of Wendy 1 Enterprise, a shoemaking business.

Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, business owner Wong Siew Wah, 75, said his foray into shoemaking began over six decades ago in Penang.

The fourth of eight siblings, he was able to complete only one year of school because money was tight. But when he was 11 years old, his shoemaker uncle suggested he apprentice under a master shoemaker. And so he did.

The days were long – at times, he worked for more than 12 hours – but the experience was invaluable. One of his colleagues was the world-renowned, king of shoes Jimmy Choo himself.

Later, Wong moved to Kuala Lumpur and worked in a shoe factory. His dream, however, was to open his own business, which he did in 1976.

“I managed to save up some money,” he said. “With a few thousand, I could open a shoemaking business. I needed only two or three people to work with me.”

He named his business Boon Wah Shoes Trading Company. It was only in 2022 and only because he had to register a new business that he changed it to Wendy 1 Enterprise.

He said times were good in the early days of his business. “In 1976, there were very few shopping malls. One of these was Ampang Park. Business was very good. There were quite a lot of shoemakers.”

As business grew, Wong employed more people and at one point had more than 70 workers. He also got married and had three children.

However, when cheap shoes from China penetrated the market, it took a toll on his business. As did non-paying customers who he had allowed to collect their shoes first.

Soon, he had to scale down his business in order to survive and, in 2001, he moved to his present location.

Over the years, Wong found other ways to stay afloat. For example, he opened a showroom to sell rejected stock at reduced prices.

He also took orders for custom-made shoes. “Some customers can’t find suitable sizes on the market. So, if they want larger or even smaller sizes, I’ll make them.” He also did alterations.

Then came making shoes under his own brand, Wendy 1. Wong specialises in footwear for adult women, and makes a variety of shoes from glittering high heels to pumps, boots and dancing shoes.

In fact, in 2010, he won first prize in a footwear design competition organised by the Perak Footwear Industry Association.

Wong has trained more than 100 workers over the years. He currently has 15 employees and they perform separate tasks, such as cutting the materials, stitching, attaching the outsole of shoes and fitting lasts – mechanical forms shaped like a human foot – inside shoes to mould them.

The humble workshop is certainly a far cry from the large factories filled with machines, and one can’t help but wonder about the future of the handmade shoe industry.

According to Wong, there were more than 200 shoemakers in the Klang Valley 30 years ago. But the number has dwindled significantly. He said one of the reasons could be that fewer young people were interested in learning the craft.

Wong admitted that he didn’t encourage his own children to join the business. “Making shoes can be very taxing,” he said. “If you notice, we don’t use machines. It’s all in the hands of a skilled shoemaker.”

Wendy 1 Enterprise
15, Jalan Perdana 6/8A,
Pandan Perdana,
55300 Kuala Lumpur

Business hours: 9am-6pm daily

Contact: 012-225 3366