Handmade shoes are my focus. Shoe factories have mechanized every aspect of shoe construction. What does it mean to make shoes by hand? There are many steps to making a pair of shoes, here’s the quick overview.
I design and draw the patterns by hand. I cut the leather by hand and sew the welts and soles by hand. I use a sewing machine to sew uppers. I shape the shoe on the last by hand and shape the heels by hand and finish them on a sander.
The design and the upper for handmade shoes.
Each last comes in a different size. A new design and pattern are created for every shoe. A design can be drawn directly on the last. A profile of the last is made from paper and the design re-created on it. The profile with the design becomes the template for the pieces of the shoe upper in flat space. The upper is made of the outside leather (also referred to as upper leather) and the liner.
The insole and lasting.
This is the wooden last used for the red ankle boots (pair 11). It’s shown here with the insole in progress. The vegetable tanned insole is formed to the bottom of the last while wet. When dry, it will be trimmed and set with holes so the upper can easily be sewn to it. The insole holds the entire shoe together.
The insoles for Pair 19 are trimmed and finished. The upper has been pulled to the last and fixed to the insole so welting can begin.
Soling and building the heel
The welt is sewn from the instep to the outside starting and stopping roughly where the heel will begin. A metal shank is glued on and the gaps filled with cork. The sole is glued on, stitched to the welt and sanded where the heel will be built. The handmade shoe is ready for heels which will make it complete.