Turkish shoe artisan to compete in world shoe patina championship against top professionals

A self-taught Turkish-Finnish artisan from Turku will face two of the world’s leading shoe patina specialists in the global championship held in London this weekend, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

Berk Kirman, who works in social services by day, will compete in the shoe patina dyeing world championship at the London Super Trunk Show, an event he describes as a gathering of “shoe fanatics” featuring brands and influencers from around the globe. His opponents include a former world champion and a master craftsman working for a luxury shoe brand.

Patina is a handcrafted technique that gives leather products—primarily shoes—an aged, individualized appearance with layered tones, shading, and depth. Kirman’s process involves multiple steps, including the use of whiskey for final polishing to achieve a mirror-like finish. Competitors have four hours to transform a single pair of shoes.

For Kirman, patina work began as a hobby after discovering the craft online a decade ago. He sources secondhand shoes from flea markets and online platforms, restoring them with custom color effects. While most clients request classic shades, occasional bold color or pattern requests add variety to his work.

Though he has followed the championships for years, this marks his first time competing. His submission—a pair of shoes transformed with rich brown patina—earned him an invitation to the London event. Beyond his craft, Kirman offers practical shoe care advice, emphasizing regular maintenance, proper conditioning products, and rotation of footwear to extend longevity.

Kirman balances his patina work—part hobby, part small business—between his home and a local tailor’s workshop in Turku. The craft, he says, provides a creative counterbalance to his demanding day job in child welfare services.