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What goes into a pair of hand made shoes?

In developing the shoes design, the Shoemaker starts by drawing a pattern. From the last, the pattern is drawn of the upper, heel, sole, insole and stiffeners – creating a two dimensional replica of the final shoe.

Men’s classic shoes are diverse in style and use, thus demanding different leathers for different occasions. Here we break down our favourite leathers for better understanding of their unique characteristics.

Your feet are probably one of your most overlooked valuables. This week on The Money we drop our gaze to these underappreciated extremities whose job is only getting harder as you get older and fatter. How much are they worth to you? And how much would spend for the right shoes?

Are you looking to invest in a pair of quality boots but don't know where to get started in selecting a pair? We have put together a great guide on the best men's boots. Which leather? What style? What to look for in quality? Read on to have all your questions answered.

“I don’t see what I do as a just a trade, I see it as building a community” says shoemaker Andrew McDonald as he works a bit of leather, his hands smoothing the material that almost melts in its obedience.

Welcome to part 1 of our tutorial series which shares our process for making handcrafted shoes.

Finding the right leather for your shoes is an ongoing quest.

Pattern making is the process of drawing on the last and making the pattern pieces for the upper, heel, sole, insole and stiffeners. The first step in making the upper pattern is to create a forme which is a blueprint of the last size, shape and heel.

While vegetable tanned leather does take longer to produce, in a process requiring the care of skilled craftsmen, making for a more expensive product, the tradition and handmade process add to the richness and the exclusivity of vegetable tanned leather.

Chestnut tanned soles create a richer darker coloured sole leather, tanned with hardwood chestnut extract. The soles are tanned for a longer period in the tan to improve durability resistance and edge finishing.

Heel counters and toe puffs sometimes called "stiffeners" are the leather parts which give the heel and toe structure in a shoe. These pieces in A.McDonald shoes are made from oak bark tanned belly or shoulder grade leather.

All custom made shoes start with foot/leg measurements. The outline of the foot and corresponding measurements are drawn onto a sheet of paper. These measurements are then transferred to a last.

The length of a foot is commonly defined as the distance between two parallel lines that are perpendicular to the foot and in contact with the most prominent toe and the most prominent part of the heel.

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Blog

What goes into a pair of hand made shoes?

Types of leather for high quality shoes

THE ECONOMICS OF FEET

Men's boots and classic shoes

The maker's mark

About the Shoemaking Process

Step by step guide: patternmaking

VEGETABLE VS CHROME TANNING

Chestnut tanned soles and insoles

Making Toe Puffs & Heel Counters

Creating a customised last

Measurements and Sizing

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