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Time for the substantial review of all 25 competition shoes that entered this year’s World Championships of Shoemaking. Info about the makers and the shoes, comments, loads of pictures of the shoes and in some cases also the manufacturing process. A close look at some seriously amazing double monk straps.
For those really into shoes, shoemaking and leather old historic books about the topics are often gold mines of knowledge. It can be tricky to get a hold of old books though. Luckily, there’s some online sources that have ebooks for free, here I highlight some books on shoes and leather found on Project Gutenberg.
A common misconception is that the only way to reinforce eyelets on shoes are metal or plastic inserts in the holes. This is not the case though, all shoe manufacturers have the holes reinforced with a reinforcement tape backing which isn’t visible. Learn more in this article.
It’s one of the most intricate processes in shoemaking, it’s the one where machines has taken over even on the finest bespoke shoes, and it’s the part of shoemaking which most clearly has developed into its own profession. Here’s the history of how upper making of shoes has developed.
One of the oldest remaining shoe and bootmakers in the US are going for a renaissance under new ownership. Shoegazing has visited their store and workshop on central Manhattan, and got a glimpse into the high ambitions of the company to create a new American powerhouse for custom made shoes and boots.
Articles continued:
For those who really want to learn to make shoes, or those who want to learn how shoemaking is done, the best first steps is to read books about shoemaking. Luckily, some of the absolute best such ever produced are available to download from free from the website of The Honourable Cordwainers’ Company, in their The H.C.C. Guild Library.
Most are aware of the rather extensive use of adhesives when making footwear, also for traditionally constructed shoes. What one don’t discuss as much is how this use affect form and function of the shoes, which it indeed can do in many ways. Here’s an hopefully enlightening article on the topic.
One of several Japanese manufacturers of really nice midrange welted shoes is the Vinaseiko factory, with their main brand Perfetto plus Kanpekina and Fugashin. It’s one example of a company working successfully with a joint factory in Southeast Asia to produce shoes with a great quality-price ratio. Shoegazing has paid it a visit.
This is certainly a complicated topic. Few things in the shoe world are as confused as how the waist and its edges are to be addressed correctly, where what once were one thing have transformed into something else and switched meaning with something third, and so on. Here I try to clarify it all.
When the Goodyear welted construction method became established in the later part of the 19th century, it revolutionised the manufacture of welted shoes and brought welted construction into the era of industrialism. Here’s a look at the birth and rise of the construction.
