AT HOME WITH MR. HARE
Early this year we dropped by
Marc Hare's house to talk shoes.
Back then Marc's house doubled-up
as Mr. Hare HQ; cupboards and
corridors were stacked high with
shoe boxes and walls were plastered
in sketches, press-clipping and
inspiring imagery.
Marc was kind enough to make us
a cup of tea whilst we learnt more
about his exceptional shoes, the
craftsmanship and inspiration
behind them, and how he came to
the decision that salmon, ostrich
and eel skin were appropriate
materials for formal footwear.
oki-ni : First of all, thanks for inviting us into your home. When we think of Mr. Hare we think quality and finish. Does having such high standards make it difficult to put anything else on your feet?
Marc Hare : I don’t really wear other shoes anymore. It’s just impossible because I have so many of my own. There aren’t enough days in the week to wear all my own shoes! I still wear Jordans; I've been a Jordan freak my whole life! It’s a comfort thing.
Before I started making shoes I dislocated my knee and as a result my left foot is swollen and I don't have much control over it. It’s caused me loads of problems and I’ve got Church's and other heavy shoes that are now quite difficult to wear.
Because my shoes are really light, thanks to the Italian construction, they are very comfortable, which makes it far better for me to wear my own shoes than anything else.
oki-ni : You say you used to be a sneaker freak. Would you ever turn your hand to making a pair?
Marc Hare : For spring/summer '12 we will have luxury sneakers. That’s something that’s never been done before. But for autumn/winter ’11 it will be big heavy boots, like a cross between the traditional DM shape but with bits of styling from Red Wing and extra detail like a tongue made from sheepskin.
The whole autumn/winter ‘11 the collection is called 'Idolescent' and it’s based on my teenage years and all the shoes I couldn’t afford or that I could afford but were shit. I’m making better versions of them.
Then after that it’s sneakers.
oki-ni : But with a Mr. Hare twist?
Marc Hare : Well, it will be a sneaker concept that, as far as I know, has never been done before. It's totally Mr. Hare and I’m keeping it totally secret. I don’t want anyone to beat us to the punch!
oki-ni : Sneakers are one thing, but you’ve also branched out into accessories. We have your amazing shoehorn in stock now. Can you tell us about that?
Marc Hare : The shoehorn is a great piece. It’s the most exquisite shoehorn ever made. When you have expensive shoes you have to have an expensive shoe horn, but they’re typically really nasty. The original inspiration was the Kill Bill Hattori Hanzo sword and the actual piece is collaboration between myself and Andy Bunney. We had to do it because of the names!
It’s a Scottish long horn, which is the traditional material they use in Jermyn Street. Plus, it’s black Scottish long-horn, which is rarer. It also has two solid silver coins with a bunny logo on it, hallmarked at the Birmingham Asae Office, and choice gemstones at the end: Onyx for £300, Garnets for £400, and we’re negotiating with someone to lend us a big enough diamond!
oki-ni : Will you stop there?
Marc Hare : Probably not. Andrew and I want to start a new little company called Bunney & Hare making luxury accessories. I’m quite excited; everyone keeps asking about collaborations.
oki-ni : Coming back to your shoes, how did you get into the craft and were there any initial difficulties in translating sketches into shoes?
Marc Hare : When I started making shoes I didn’t know the first thing about them. The smartest and luckiest thing I ever did was to decide to make my shoes in Italy. That meant I was working with factories that won’t let anything out the door, even a sample, that isn’t absolutely brilliant to start with.
I’ve had to take little steps and learn how to do things and you’ll see that every season we branch out into different little areas.
Summer is the most interesting season because you really have to think about the materials. For example, we use pigment leather on the inside of the shoe so it breathes easier and then you don’t have to wear socks. We also add comfort sole-units, as summer needs to be a lot more comfortable. Most people just put an EVA sole on or a rubber sole and just leave it. Whereas we put a leather sole on the bottom of the EVA to keep it completely luxury.
But that comes with its own problems. I’ve had people complaining that they can’t have my shoes fixed, and then I had to go and visit some cobblers. If you go to a cobbler and they can’t fix your shoe they’re insulted! But the problem isn’t my shoes, it’s the fact that the cobblers need to step up their game!
oki-ni : Which London cobblers match up to your exacting standards then?
Marc Hare : I go down to Mario’s on Portobello Road, but there’s also a company called First Class Cobblers who have a pick-up-and-delivery service. They’re based down in Kent.
oki-ni : Mr. Hare challenges Britain’s cobblers; you should have your own BBC3 reality show! They should thank you for making their lives more interesting, don’t you think?
Marc Hare : If a customer comes in with a pair of cheap shoes from Portugal that look shit to begin with, what’s in it for the cobbler to fix them? They probably think, ‘why should I bother?’ But if you bring in a really nice pair of shoes that they can restore back to their original state, then it’s surely a lot more fun.
oki-ni : This season’s shoes will certainly keep cobblers on their toes because you’ve added more complexity yet again. Can you explain the inspiration and ideas behind the collection?
Marc Hare : I started by making new shapes for a start, because all the original shapes like the Fitzgerald and the Orwell were quite commercial because we needed to sell them. This time, we’ve gone for a chiseled toe with a cubist angle that is totally handmade and looks really interesting. I also wanted to get more loafers in there and use lighter materials like eel skin, which is paper-thin, and salmon skin, which is super-fine.
oki-ni : What sort of problems do you encounter using such unusual and seemingly-demanding materials?
Marc Hare : None! It makes it more expensive but the beauty of Mr. Hare is that we never skimp on price. It’s a great way to work because you’re not trying to be super-commercial.
The reason I started Mr. Hare was because I worked in marketing for other companies including Dr. Marten, Kickers and Caterpillar. There you came up with an idea and then tried to work out how to make that shoe for £10, which is just not possible!
This time we’re like, “let’s just make exactly the shoe we want - no compromise and fuck the price!”
For me it’s all about the end product. I like to take old shoe ideas and try to make them better or make them work. I used Ostrich skin because it looks like snake, for example.
oki-ni : Your shoes always have great names. Where do they come from?
Marc Hare : Authors were my inspiration for the first collection; you have to have a story to go with the shoes. To me shoes are just as important as literature – they change your outlook and the way you do things.
But mostly, it's all about how I feel about the collections. With the second collection I thought, 'how do you make really smart holiday shoes?' And then I thought about my holidays on the other side of the equator: dancing in Latin America, Jamaica, amazing music, outstanding people and places.
The third collection was based on cinema and how film changes how you perceive things. We did high heels in the collection - those physically change your perception of the world, seeing it from a few inches higher. That collection was also about Paris. The feel that it has influenced me a lot. It's so glamorous. It makes you feel like doing what you want to do and nothing else.
oki-ni : You’ve been making shoes for a while now. We know it’s like asking which one of your children you prefer, but are there any models that really stand out as favourites?
Marc Hare : The Fitzgerald. I’m always shocked at how good it looks when I put it on. I only put them on when I go somewhere special!
In truth I like them all, but it takes a long time to get through them. You’ve got to wear them in and trash them up a bit. And when you do you’ll be amazed at how well they hold up. I’ve worn them every day since March and I don’t particularly look after them. I’ve got them drenched like three times - monsoon style - and left them to dry out overnight and they look exactly the same! It’s because we use the best materials and craftsmanship. If they were a pair of £150 shoes they’d be fucked! So it’s definitely worth the investment.
oki-ni : It seems odd that such ornate shoes would also be really durable. Beside durability, what single characteristic would you say defines a Mr. Hare shoe?
Marc Hare : We spend more time on the shape than anything else. It doesn’t really matter what you put on the shoe - what pattern or colour - it’s all about the shape. As long as the shape is right you’re laughing. Anytime there’s anything wrong with a man’s shoe it’s the shape.
Marc Hare is a man of ambition and
each season this ambition grows:
shoes become more complex,
materials more interesting,
craftsmanship more refined.
Marc has now moved out of his
home/studio, content for it to
function just as a home. The
shoeboxes are gone and his
storage space has tripled,
but the same passion
and personal touch
to his work remains.
We thank him for
being the perfect host
and wish him the best
of luck in his new
studio.
Find a full spring/summer '11 range of Mr. Hare here on oki-ni.
shop MR. HARE