Whenever I see pictures from the pre-WW1-era I marvel at the shoes people wore back then. From the outside they appear comfortable, sturdy, and elegant. I wonder which would be more comfortable to wear -- hand-made, customized shoes from a 1900's-inspired, experienced shoemaker, or modern, mass-produced sneakers (which are pretty comfortable to begin with).
On average, sneakers will always win. Making shoes by hand is hard.
On excellence, it's really about taste and task. A comfortable leather shoe is heavenly, but you still wouldn't run in it. They will smell less though.
This said, pre-WWI shoes were already mass-manufactured for the most part. Mechanization arrived in mid-19th century.