Massaro was built in 1894. At that time, people had to go to specific places to have tailor-made luxury goods made for them because you couldn’t just walk into any store and buy a pair of shoes. It was tailor-made to the customer. Later on, they started developing lines with other fashion houses like CHANEL. Shoes, Massaro for CHANEL

Having a shoe custom made is really a discussion back and forth between the client and Massaro to see what sort of shoe they're looking for. They can either bring an image for reference or they can actually bring a shoe that they loved for years and they would like to have made in a different color or different style. As we like to say at TC: 'If it’s nice, buy it twice!' Shoes, Massaro

After the first meeting, a lower quality shoe is made for the customer. It usually has a plastic heel and is cork at the base. Once the customer comes in for a second appointment they will try it on for fit. Before the actual shoe is made, they want to make sure they are on the right track. When clients come back, if they want the same specific kind of the shoe, they just take out the original last and make it again.

We were blown away! Every single sample had so much detail. 'A woman’s shoe will take about 20-30 hours to make and a man’s about 40-50 hours. It's not just about 'pretty shoes.' It's really important to Philippe for women to be comfortable in their heels.

A sketch by the man, the legend: Mr. Karl Lagerfeld. Being in the presence of a Lagerfeld original is like seeing a Picasso painting for the first time - tiny 'strokes' of genius! While meant for reference, we think they also make lovely pieces of art! In fact, we're curious to know how much one of these would fetch at a Christie's auction. Do we hear $1 million?

Don’t misbehave…

This is the iconic shoe created by Massaro for Coco Chanel in 1957. Rejecting the stiletto heels that were in vogue at the time, CHANEL advocated the small 6 cm heel; the beige kidskin upper lengthened the leg, whilst a black satin toe made the foot appear smaller. The back strap has some room because when women walked all day their feet would swell up. It was really designed for women. Anything that Coco Chanel developed was catered to women’s needs. Shoes, Massaro for CHANEL

It would not have been an official Coveteur visit if these pearl-encrusted, silver lamé runway beauties didn’t get the royal treatment. Shoes, Massaro for CHANEL

Making a wooden last is the first step in the shoe-making process.Making a wooden last is the first step in the shoe-making process.Making a wooden last is the first step in the shoe-making process.Making a wooden last is the first step in the shoe-making process.

Massaro has done everything from the extremely avant-garde to the classic tweed pump. Shoe, Massaro for CHANEL

For Paris-Bombay, the heel was the only part of the shoe that was not made at Massaro because it required a very specific kind of 'stud' and 'carved heel.' Massaro did the finishing and assembling of the shoe. Shoe, Massaro for CHANEL Paris-Bombay

Story boards and inspiration pictures, like this, were all over Massaro. They act as inspiration for the seven collaborating métiers to reference during production.

It's all in the details! When you're this close to these mini masterpieces, you can really the see the amount of time, effort and attention each shoe gets. It's a real labour of love. Black and Gold Shoes, Massaro for CHANEL

The desk of a Massaro worker. A lot of the people who make the shoes have been here for quite some time.

Even Massaro has caught wind of the neon trend.

The Massaro name is written inside the sole of the shoe. Up to today, Massaro is the only supplier of CHANEL that is allowed to put his name and CHANEL's on the sole and the inside of the shoe. Even for runway pieces, you’ll get samples that say Massaro. Shoe, Massaro for CHANEL

A runway favorite up-close! Shoes, Massaro for CHANEL

We like to think of this as the post-modern take on the black-and-white classic, which started it all! Karl really kicked up the volume on Coco's classic, pointy-toed pump by tattooing it with sketches of sheer genius. Shoe, Massaro for CHANEL

You can really see the collaboration of the seven houses in the Métier d’Arts collection. You have the heel made by Massaro and then the gold chains and gold forming around it that was made by Desrues, which is based outside of Paris. Every detail is made to perfection. Shoes, Massaro for CHANEL

Visiting Massaro HQ was an unforgettable day for us! We were literally swimming in a sea of shoes, which were enriched with the vast history of CHANEL, dating back decades in the making. Shoes, Massaro for CHANEL

Massaro does not use new technology, except maybe the bigger machines. Every tool is the original. Recognize that piece of fabric slung over the Singer sewing machine? It's the actual material used to create the booties for the Paris-Bombay collection. Confession: We secretly wanted to pocket some of the leftover scraps for a keepsake.

Every season with CHANEL, Karl sketches a total look - everyone from Lesage embroidery to Massaro will work with the sketch. It's an ongoing conversation between the studio, the atelier and Massaro to bring to life what Karl wanted out of the sketch. Then, it's the same process as with a private customer and they start with samples. Sketch, Karl Lagerfeld

For the Métier d’Arts collection, all of the houses work together. There is a lot of collaboration with Lesage for embroidery on the shoes.