Simple Chukka

[Mablung]

Well, I've finally made a foray into shoemaking, beyond the pair of moccasins I made my wife. This was a little different. I used the Simple Shoemaking stitch-down chukka pattern for these. I had to adapt the pattern to my larger foot, but other than having to figure out how to adjust the fit for the heel so that my heel isn't right on top of the rear seam, I think I got the fit adjustments just right. Now to wear them for a week to break them in and figure out what mistakes I made, other than slightly wandering stitch lines (had to eyeball the placement of my chisels) and slightly ragged, uneven edges. 

[AlZilla]

Congrats on that accomplishment.  What did you do for soles? I've looked and between sizing them right and high cost, I'm still sporting wally world sneaks.

[Mablung]

Why thank you. They were really fairly easy to do, since I didn't make the pattern myself. I used crepe rubber from Tandy, cut from the 1/8"-thick sheets they sell. Intentionally minimalist soles; only insole is a piece of the same 4/5 oz. oil tan I used for the upper. 

[Mablung]

1 hour ago, AlZilla said:

Congrats on that accomplishment.  What did you do for soles? I've looked and between sizing them right and high cost, I'm still sporting wally world sneaks.

Forgot to say earlier, the sizing was pretty easy on these.  I used the largest pattern in the "Simple Ecological Shoemaking" book available on Etsy and adjusted it for my couple-sizes-larger feet and adjusted the width a little to better accommodate my forefoot.  With some careful measuring and re-measuring to get the foot measurement right and keep the sole/heel/vamp proportions right, getting the size dialed in was pretty easy.  These need just a little adjustment, but I wanted to make another pair in a different color anyway.  The heel/ankle piece needs to be a bit taller and I need to adjust the length of the heel in a way I haven't quite determined yet to get the heel seam out from under my heel, when the shoes are on.  I think adding a heel cup will help in that regard.  I may add a toebox piece as well to give the toebox some more shape and a little panache.

[Aven]

Well done.  Those are more than a little respectable especially for a first attempt.

Sharon has a couple of YouTube videos where she talks about drafting a pattern to fit you. They are worth the watch.

If I understand your issue correctly about the heel seam bothering you, it's like it's kind of bunching up under your heel like the leather is sagging.  If so then you are right a heel cap will help stabilize things. You can also cut your quarters at the heel. Shape the cut so that the bottom inch or two has a slight curve on each side of the dart. When you sew them together with a butt seam it will curve the bottom, mimicking the round shape of your heel. You don't have to cut the quarters in half, just a small curved dart out of the bottom two inches or so.  Just enough to the make the leather mimic the shape of your heel. I have used sheets of craft foam (eva) to work out how wide, how tall and how much curve to cut the dart to make it to fit without using good leather. Then put a cap over that and no one will see the butt seam.  Don't forget to skive the bottom edges if you put heel or toe caps on, else it might get too thick on you.

Hope that makes sense.

[chuck123wapati]

heck yea!!!! I'm working driving mocs today lol wish me luck.

[Mablung]

10 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

heck yea!!!! I'm working driving mocs today lol wish me luck.

Knock 'em dead. A while back I did a pair of basic scout moccasins for my wife that she uses as slippers and to run outside briefly. The hardest part was getting the puckers in the toe box right; I didn't have a scratch awl at the time, but sticking it in the pucker space like the directions said to do would have helped keep everything even. 

[chuck123wapati]

5 minutes ago, Mablung said:

Knock 'em dead. A while back I did a pair of basic scout moccasins for my wife that she uses as slippers and to run outside briefly. The hardest part was getting the puckers in the toe box right; I didn't have a scratch awl at the time, but sticking it in the pucker space like the directions said to do would have helped keep everything even. 

those shoes look pretty darn good did you put a heel on also?

[Mablung]

10 hours ago, Aven said:

Well done.  Those are more than a little respectable especially for a first attempt.

Sharon has a couple of YouTube videos where she talks about drafting a pattern to fit you. They are worth the watch.

If I understand your issue correctly about the heel seam bothering you, it's like it's kind of bunching up under your heel like the leather is sagging.  If so then you are right a heel cap will help stabilize things. You can also cut your quarters at the heel. Shape the cut so that the bottom inch or two has a slight curve on each side of the dart. When you sew them together with a butt seam it will curve the bottom, mimicking the round shape of your heel. You don't have to cut the quarters in half, just a small curved dart out of the bottom two inches or so.  Just enough to the make the leather mimic the shape of your heel. I have used sheets of craft foam (eva) to work out how wide, how tall and how much curve to cut the dart to make it to fit without using good leather. Then put a cap over that and no one will see the butt seam.  Don't forget to skive the bottom edges if you put heel or toe caps on, else it might get too thick on you.

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks. And you're right on about the heel seam issue. I'll fiddle with some craft foam and figure out how to put a dart in the heel as you described. I also need to adjust the height and length of the top of the upper, as it gaps at my Achilles tendon; I think I need to cut the upper piece in more of a trapezoid shape rather than a rectangle. 

1 minute ago, chuck123wapati said:

those shoes look pretty darn good did you put a heel on also?

No, zero drop on these. I've worn "barefoot" style shoes for several years now and swear by them. So, no heel, and the sole is quite thin: just the leather insole glued to a thin piece of crepe rubber as the outsole. I'll take a pic of the side of the shoe this evening. 

[Aven]

17 minutes ago, Mablung said:

Thanks. And you're right on about the heel seam issue. I'll fiddle with some craft foam and figure out how to put a dart in the heel as you described. I also need to adjust the height and length of the top of the upper, as it gaps at my Achilles tendon; I think I need to cut the upper piece in more of a trapezoid shape rather than a rectangle.

If its gapping at the top, you need to do the same up there.  Look on page 51 of Sharon's pdf.  The pattern are curved at the heel.  That's what yours should look like, smooth curves.

The Velle pattern on PDF page  61, book page 55 is a better example of what I'm talking about.

Edited January 8, 2024 by Aven