Company Bio

Esquivel's collection of striking classics with a modern twist, are hand made for the discerning buyer whose tastes go beyond the confines of off the rack similarity. Bringing Esquivel's work to fruition encompasses over 100 detailed steps. Each pair is meticulously created in his Southern California shop using only the finest materials available. Hand cutting the uppers, massaging the leather into shape on the lasts, and then cutting and finishing the outsoles provides a finished product that bares the detailed markings and subtle imperfections of the laborious craftsmanship necessary to create each pair.

George began honing his craft 15 years ago under the tutelage of a retired master cobbler and his creativity and love for footwear quickly blossomed into a full-time passion. His early rock and roll inspired designs soon became staples on stages across the country. Esquivel's hands bare testament to his years of personally working on each pair himself. Esquivel now oversees a team of skilled artisans with over 120 years of shared experience.

Esquivel's clients include some of the most demanding and discerning tastes in the world – Oscar winners, Heads of States, Grammy Nominees, members of royal families, rock royalty and world class athletes. Esquivel's are sold exclusively at premier retailers worldwide including Douglas Fir in Los Angeles and Rubensteins in New Orleans. But titles aside, Esquivel's exist solely to satisfy the individual that regardless of personal accomplishments or accolades loves and appreciates distinguished and unique footwear.

In 2004, Esquivel was nominated as Designer of the Year, along with Bruno Magli and Ralph Lauren, by a leading industry trade magazine. George's unique designs have also received praise from other leading publications including the Robb Report and LA Times. He has also had the privilege of being commissioned by the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles to design a series of shoes to match their million dollar cars on display.

George Esquivel’s ‘hardship to happiness life’ makes for a dramatic tale.
Here’s what some of the worlds leading publications say about his ascent to soul contentedness:

Esquivel has come a long way from a childhood of meager beginnings and hard knocks. Born in Orange, he was the oldest of five children, with a drug-addicted father who was in and out of jail. His Mexican immigrant mother managed to keep a roof over their heads even if they did live mostly in hotels. “You know those stories you’ve read in the paper about motel kids? That was me,” he says. “Through it all, mom kept saying work hard, have faith in God that everything is going to be OK – and it was. We beat the statistics.” —OC Register

He figures that being in those cramped motel rooms in front of a squiggly television set may have led to his designing career. When he wasn’t mowing lawns, raking leaves or running errands to earn money for necessities, he’d watch I Love Lucy. And though Lucy was the star, it was Ricky Ricardo who captured his attention because he had such style and his shoes were sweet. —LA Times

Esquivel trained at the bench under the tutelage of Emigdio Canales, a retired master cobbler who, among other accomplishments, built boots for daredevil Evil Knievel in the 1960’s. “We cut the leather with a razor blade and hand punched each hole on the wing tips,” says Esquivel. “I learned how hard custom shoemaking really is.” —Robb Report

Each pair of Esquivel shoes is entirely unique and personally constructed by the designer himself with shockingly meticulous detail as each pair is custom fitted to the buyer’s feet. The sheer versatility of his designs have attracted the attention of clothing designers as well as musicians. Richard Tyler, the couture designer renowned for his own attention to structure and detail, praises the line. “It’s very unusual for a designer to be so skilled at both design and construction. I own several pair of Esquivels myself, which are of impeccable quality. One pair in particular, a dress boot with a very pointed Beatles-esque toe, is just fabulous.” —Riviera

Ellen Campuzano, trend forecaster and editor and publisher of Fashionfactsfolio, a New York-based newsletter for the footwear and accessories industry, says an operation such as Esquivel’s is rare. “It’s really unheard of these days because, basically, the finest shoemaking come out of Italy, the center of the leather and shoe factories of the world.” Campuzano frequently attends shoe fairs in Italy and one in Paris for lesser known shoe designers and smaller operations.

Shoe-making is a craft but when you can find a craftsman, it can be done. But for an American collection to be made in Southern California is very unique. And a very expensive proposition. I’ve seen many shoe collections get started and you’ve got to either have very deep pockets or a fabulous collection,” she says. Esquivel, she adds, “has got guts.” —LA Times

Despite the growing success of his shoe collection and his celebrity clientele, Esquivel has other things on his mind. “Let’s talk about my family,” he says. Esquivel beams with pride at the thought of his wife (his high school sweetheart) and their three children. —Flaunt

“I used to want to be an attorney or a history teacher and God kinda led me here,” Esquivel says matter-of-factly. “I love what I do. By no means am I a millionaire. That’s not the goal. The goal is to enjoy life. Everybody has a different level of happiness.” “I’ve gotten here because I’m blessed with great people around me. Everybody sees how passionate I am about it. My customers are some of the biggest rock stars, and here I am this poor kid from Anaheim and I make their shoes, which is pretty cool. I look at every one of my shoes as a little success.” —OC Register