Pair Number 20

Custom shoe number 20. Handmade shoe in blue Italian leather with iridescent finish and 1.75 inch heel.Ever since I started making shoes, my wife has had the notion that I would make her the perfect pair of heels. With this pair, I got one step closer. We ran out dancing the second they were finished. She loved them.

They have been a long time in the making. I tried many different lasts and learned a lot about the small amount of tolerance allowed for this type of shoe to fit. Fairly small additional allowances in a lace up shoe end up being greatly magnified when there is so little shoe overall.

These shoes are the basic low tango heel that a lot of tango dancers are after. Of course once you’ve mastered dancing in the 2 inch heel, 3 and 4 inches seem to beckon. When I started making shoes, I said to myself that I wouldn’t make shoes with heels higher than two inches, but I’m sure I will.

This is a modified size 36 last that I reshaped forward of the instep. It has a two inch plastic heels wrapped with the same Italian vegetable tanned leather as the upper. It’s also the same leather that I used for pair number 18. German soling leather and English kip lining.


Comments

2 responses to “Pair Number 20”

  1. Terry Lillie

    I have been dubbed the Shoe Queen by my friends. I have been on the hunt for the perfect shoe for 30+ some years, and today my friend I think I have been witness to the perfect looking shoe. Your wife is very blessed by your gift. The color is lovely, the style is gorgous. They are Cinderella shoes.

    I am sure I cannot afford your lovely gifts to the feet, but I wanted to tell you that you are very talented. There isn’t one shoe on this site that does not appeal to me. And as a biker, your saddles make me want to fly to Portland to your open house. Sorry I could not make it. If you are ever coming to Iowa please email me. My husband and I would love to introduce you to some bicycle makers that are always looking for a good seat for thier creations.

    Keep peddling!

    Terry Lillie :):):)

  2. Your wife is one lucky woman. These shoes look beautiful! I also like the two tones of the stingray leather shoes that she didn’t want to take off.