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I recently finished a new pair of foot-shaped shoes — photo attached (hopefully!). As ever, the goal was to make comfortable footwear that lets the foot move as naturally as possible while being stylish and unique. Wide toe shapes and flexible, totally flat soles are a consistent feature of my designs. I never make tapering toes, stiff soles, toe spring or raised heels — as these can all cause major issues for feet and for general health (e.g., knees, hips, backs) especially if worn for years or decades. In fact, I started making my own footwear because it’s almost impossible to buy shoes without at least one of these features (even if you can find flat, flexible soles, the toe area usually tapers too much). See my blog post at https://tozafoot.com/2019/07/02/experimenting-with-design-and-method-side-fastening-shoes/ for more photos, and a summary of how I made this pair. I’ve taught myself a lot, and invented some ways of doing things that would probably raise professional shoemakers’ eyebrows, but they work for my philosophy and toolset. I only use a few hand tools, no sewing machines or sanders or other power tools, and I only use solvent-based glues for attaching a rubber sole, after the shoe has been completed and is wearable (with a leather outsole). Again, see my website for more details. Cheers! tozafoot

Hi everyone, This is my first post and I apologize if this is a question that has been asked before. I did do a search but did not find the answer. My question, is there any significant difference between using a creaser with an alcohol burner or an electrical setup? Does one work better than the other? Do you see better results or get a better finished product by using one method over the other? Thanks in advance for your opinions. -Frank