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History

Picture special - Oscaria 1940's vintage boots
Report

Report – Oscaria 1940’s vintage boots

In my home country Sweden we haven’t had a proper shoemaking industry for many decades. But during the first half of the 1900’s it prospered, with one of the largest manufacturers being Oscaria. When I found a pair of Oscaria boots made in the 1940’s, never worn, in a vintage shoe store in Tokyo that fit me perfectly, I of course had to buy them. Here’s the story about the factory and the boots in question, with loads of photos.

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News - Shoemakers wanted for PhD research survey
News

News – Shoemakers wanted for PhD research survey

UK shoemaker Deborah Carré is conducting one of the largest academic research projects on bespoke shoemaking in years. Her PhD explores the transmission of shoemaking skills since the 1850s, with historical and modern shoemaking competitions – mainly the World Championships of Shoemaking – playing a vital role. She is now seeking shoemakers to participate in her research by answering a survey and contributing further. Collectors of vintage handmade shoes are also invited to take part.

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History - The true story of Nicolaus Tuczek
History

History – The true story of Nikolaus Tuczek

Nikolaus Tuczek is one of the most acclaimed shoemakers in history, with an almost mythical gloria around him. Wrongly so. The Tuczek story is not about one brilliant man, it’s about several generations of a hard working family who had to fight and overcome many challenges, until a pair of slippers finally took them down. Bespoke shoemaker and shoe historian at his leisure William Efe Laborde is here to unveil the truth in an ambitious attempt at documenting a history of that great and misunderstood firm, in this guest article that also includes some unique photos.

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History - The 1950's shoe shine contests in North Carolina
History

History – The 1950’s shoe shine contests in North Carolina

During the 1950’s an amazing shoe shining contest was organised in Wilson, North Carolina, peaking with 12,000 visitors one year. In what was almost like a rock concert the shoe shiners performed their shine work on shoes of people from the audience, where both the final shine and the entertainment they gave was awarded. Read the lovely history of these contests.

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History - The devaluation of "handmade"
History

History – The devaluation of “handmade”

The word “handmade” and what it means when it comes to footwear has been through quite a journey the past hundred years or so. From referring only to expensive often hand welted shoes that are built more or less without any machines involved back in the days, to now be used for relatively cheap shoes that have all main parts made by large machines, hands solely guide the shoes through them. Here’s the history of how handmade has been devaluated through the years.

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Shoegazing Podcast - Ep. 28, William Efe Laborde, about connecting historic shoemaking with the present
Shoegazing Podcast

Shoegazing Podcast – Ep. 28, William Efe Laborde, about connecting historic shoemaking with the present

New podcast episode with the British-based bespoke shoemaker William Efe Laborde, in a talk where we focus on connecting historic shoemaking, materials and tools with today’s. Among many things you’ll learn which area of shoemaking that he thinks is at an all time high now in present time, why the tools never can be made as good as they were before the World War II again, and much more.

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