About | Kleinman's Living Shoes & Inserts

About

Make Walking A Pleasure Again!

Home

About

who we are

We Have Over 40 Years Experience

Kleinman’s is a locally owned third-generation family business residing in the Greater Louisville Area of Kentucky

Brief History

Our founder Hyman Kleinman was sent to make his way in America by his parents as a young preteen, as they felt he had no future in their small town in Russia. He opened Kleinman’s New York Furriers in 1919 with his oldest child, Morris Kleinman. Eventually, he was also joined in business by his two other sons, George and Bob, Alan’s father. After about 30 years in the fur business, George left New York to begin a new career making custom molded shoes in LA.

Morris and Bob remained partners in the fur business, while George perfected his process of constructing the most comfortable shoes possible. When George found himself too busy to handle all the business, he came to Louisville long enough to teach his two brothers how to make shoes. From that point on, all of the shoes sold in LA were made here in Louisville. Kleinman’s Living Shoes was then added to Kleinman’s Furs and the two businesses remained together until the fur business was bought in 2001.

The shoe business has continued its own since then, and has consistently remained the finest custom orthopedic shoe manufacturer in the US.

Present day

Today, Alan Kleinman and his son Bryan operate their business in an industry with very high demand. This has made it nearly impossible to provide this service to others in need outside of my geographic area so we are looking to expand in the near future.

Future Endeavors

We are looking to expand our practice into other regions. We are doing so by offering an educational opportunity to entrepreneurs who are interested in developing the skills needed to open a business in the skilled trade of custom molded shoes.

This would also be a unique opportunity for Certified Pedorthists, Podiatrists, Shoe Repair Specialist & Orthopedic Medical Practitioners.

Why Choose

Why Our Shoes

Kleiman’s Living Shoes is a full service company offering solutions for your foot problems, we put care into making your shoes from start to finish.

Our Products

THE PROCESS

Custom Fit & Custom Designed Specifically for You

Give your feet the best support possible with shoes that are created just for you! With over 60 years of experience in making custom shoes, our team has extensive experience in designing shoes to suit any type of health or lifestyle need.

Phase 1

Working with the Plaster

Prior to starting, we make note of any specific trouble areas on the foot like bunions, calluses, sores, hammer toes, etc. in order to alleviate pressure for those spots. This is where the shoes become highly specialized, making each pair unique for just one individual.
Make a cast of the customer’s feet using plaster of paris.

Cast 1a

Prior to starting, we make note of any specific trouble areas on the foot like bunions, calluses, sores, hammer toes, etc. in order to alleviate pressure for those spots.

Cast 1b

This is where the shoes become highly specialized, making each pair unique for just one individual.

Cast 1c

Make a cast of the customer’s feet using plaster of paris.

Take the hollow cast and create full plaster replicas of the feet.

Cast 2a

Take the hollow cast and create full plaster replicas of the feet.

Cast 2b

This is where the shoes become highly specialized, making each pair unique for just one individual.

Cast 2c

Make a cast of the customer’s feet using plaster of paris.

Smooth and reshape the cast to create the rounded look of the shoe
Make necessary adjustments for any trouble area on the foot.

Cast 3a

Smooth and reshape the cast to create the rounded look of the shoe

Cast 3b

This is where we make necessary adjustments for any trouble area on the foot.

Mastermolds

One final cast is made of the reshaped shoe so that we can replicate every pair we make for an individual the exact same.

One final cast is made of the reshaped shoe so that we can replicate every pair we make, anytime the customer needs them.
Once the cast dries fully, the shoe is ready to be built around it.

Phase 2

Building the Shoe

The shoes are built by hand, inside and out, by Alan and Bryan.
Each layer is added individually to each and every pair.

1st Layer

The shoes are built by hand, from inside out by Alan and Bryan.

Designs

The designs for the shoe are hand drawn onto the first layer.

Burlap

Additional layers of support are added to help strengthen and maintain the structure of the shoes.

The designs for the shoe are hand drawn onto the first layer.
Additional layers of support are added to help strengthen and maintain the structure of the shoes.
The platforms for the shoes are built directly onto the cast, creating our one-of-a-kind technique for providing maximum comfort and fit.

Cork

The platforms for the shoes are built directly onto the cast, creating our one-of-a-kind technique for providing maximum comfort and fit.

Monks Cloth

Additional layers are added to create more strength and to cover the platforms, binding them even more to the shoe

Leather

The final layer of leather is added (with care not to damage or scratch the leather), then the final sole is added to the bottom.

Additional layers are added to create more strength and to cover the platforms, binding them even more to the shoe.
The final layer of leather is added (with care not to damage or scratch the leather), then the final sole is added to the bottom.

Phase 3

The Finishing Details

Once the final leather and sole have been added, the shoe is broken out by hammer and chisel.
Final details are added, including trimming the final shape, stitching on straps and buckles or adding the laces, and adding the insole.
Cleaning and polishing the leather.

Breaking Out

Once the final leather and sole have been added, the shoe is broken out by hammer and chisel.

Straps

Stitching straps and buckles on or adding the laces.

Polishing

Cleaning and polishing the leather.

We pride ourselves on our customer service. All of our shoes are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.