Bespoke; bespeak....
Foot measurements and tracings on paper. Deliberation, some sketching to capture intent and map out the methods ahead. Lasts are made; forms to mirror feet. Pattern-making is informed by the last. Patterns for uppers, patterns for linings.
A prototype shoe interrogates fit and style. Adjustments are made.
Leather selection reconciles application with aesthetics. Clicking; leather cutting. Leather preparation and closing; stitching the upper.
Blocking insoles, channeling the welt. Lasting the upper – stretching it over the last, tacking it in place. Hand rolling thread, stitching the welt, pegging the seat. A steel shank, leather and cork bottom filler. Stitching the outsole. Building the heel – one layer at a time. Edge finishing with glass, then sandpaper, then water, then wax, then heat.
Brass tacks and laces. Spit and polish. In all over 160 distinct steps. One pair at a time from start to finish. Each pair slow in the making, deliberate in execution.
