Three friends. One problem. One idea that wouldn't let go.
We all know the feeling: you find a shoe you love, but it never quite fits. Standard sizes, limited widths, and compromises on comfort became our everyday frustration.
As three friends with backgrounds in technology, design, and business, we asked a simple question: why should made-to-measure shoes remain a luxury reserved for a few?
That question became Forma Prior — a brand built to combine precise fit, personal design, and European craftsmanship at a price that makes sense.
Our founders
We believe custom shoes should not be a luxury for the few.
Vincent Markert
Vincent brings computer vision and technology expertise to FORMA PRIOR. He leads the development of our scanning app and digital configurator, making made-to-measure footwear accessible from anywhere.
Friedrich Trabert
We want to be the most affordable maker of premium made-to-measure shoes. So we save on everything that is not the shoe: no retail store, no warehouse, no new collection every year. Nothing is saved on the leather, the welt stitching or the last. Saving on the shoe itself is easy. The task is to save on everything else.
Marcus Freudig
In Hungary, shoemaking never broke off. That is why we produce there, in a family business near Budapest with 50 years of experience. A single shoemaker takes each pair through all 19 steps. The full grain leather is not ordered, it is selected in person at the tanneries in Italy.
Recognition
HSG Startup Label
FORMA PRIOR holds the Startup Label of the University of St. Gallen, awarded to companies founded by HSG students and alumni.
How we work
Every Forma Prior shoe starts with your foot.
Using our mobile scanning app, you capture precise measurements of your feet in just a few minutes — from the comfort of your home. These measurements form the foundation of your personal shoe last.
Combined with our 3D configurator, you design every detail before our artisans begin crafting your pair by hand.
Our workshop
Handcrafted near Budapest. With decades of experience.
Every Forma Prior shoe is made by skilled artisans in a Hungarian workshop with more than 50 years of shoemaking tradition. They work with premium leathers and time-honoured techniques to bring your design to life.
From cutting and lasting to finishing and quality control, each pair passes through experienced hands — because true fit and lasting quality can only come from real craftsmanship.
