Attaching and preparing the toe puff

Attaching leather toe-puff to shoe. I generally use 1.6mm leather side that has been skived hammered to compress leather fibres then sanded into shape. Once the toe-puff has lasted, I grasp the shape taking off any bumps then shave with glass to take off finish to allow counter paste to penetrate the leather. A good toe puff should maintain the shape integrity of the last toe shape, be flexible, hard enough to protect your toes and have the capacity to mould to the shape of your foot and wear.