WALNUT shoes!

[goody2shoes]

My most favourite thing to do when I have the time is make shoes! I have treated myself to some WALNUT Italian leather oxfords, hand stitched down sole and leather lined...yummy!  

[JerseyFirefighter]

Fantastic. Shoe making seems to be way out of my wheelhouse for what I currently do, but I love seeing posts like this to know that the tools are there, and I just need to focus on a goal if I really want to make it happen. What weight do you use for the outer portion of the shoe?

[goody2shoes]

Hi, yes they are a labour of love but so worth it! Here I used about 4 ounce leather 1.5mm ish for the uppers but skived the edges to get a good shape around the last. Good luck on your shoe journey  

[ByNelson]

Nice work... I like them a lot 

[Stetson912]

By the title I was expecting to see some colossal walnuts on your feet, but this is better hehe..

In all seriousness, they look great. I always found shoemaking interesting, I just don't seem to have the time or money to learn how to do it at the moment. Great work.

[goody2shoes]

Ha ha! Massive walnuts would be awesome! Thanks 

[LeatherBeast]

Wow, they look great! Shoemakers are always so impressive to me.

[goody2shoes]

Thanks, it's all the same skills as you have, just made around a last  

[billybopp]

Those look really awesome, and I bet they're darned comfy too!  I'd love to have a go at making shoes one of these days.  Do you have any suggestions for learning resources?

Bill

[goody2shoes]

Thank you Bill, yes they're super comfy! 

I have been painstakingly teaching myself shoe making through lots of trials and errors, I trained in all other leather work as an apprentice to a master saddler in Wales for 4 years and have been trying to accomplish shoes in my spare time! 

I like watching this lady's tutorials on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/SKDEZIGN

and I have some really old cobblers books and patterns. 

The pattern making is key! To get good at first and then the actual shoe making just utilises the general leather working skills that you probably already have. 

I made up my own way of stitching down the soles to skip a few steps in the very long process but I suggest you go fully into good year welting and proper lasted shoes if you want to get a full understanding of them as many beautiful shoes are still made like that for a reason. 

I suggest buying yourself a set of lasts in your size, lots of masking tape and card and cheap leather that you don't mind messing up because believe me you will! 

Any more questions I'm happy to help  

[Stetson912]

So they really are "built to last" hehe

How long will a pair of shoes be comfortable if maintained correctly?

[goody2shoes]

Oo that's a tricky question... If they are fitted correctly I suppose and your feet don't change ie  arches dropping or other conditions, a good pair of leather shoes should get more and more comfortable as the leather molds to your feet and movements... 

Its always good to keep shoe trees in them when not in use as shoes get soft and warm on your feet then cool down when you don't have them on and if they have creases in them or you leave them bent up in a wierd way they will cool and set that way and maybe rub when you put you're new days feet into them! 

Hope it helps I might just be babbling  

[Stetson912]

Makes sense, I've read that you shouldn't really wear your boots/shoes more than a day at a time and keep trees in em to keep them from changing too much. I was just curious what you found in your studies haha

[kiwican]

Those are awesome. The closest I have come to making foot ware is a pair of sandals 

[goody2shoes]

And I really struggle with sandles! Just can't get the placement of the straps right, they rub every time! 

How did you make yours?

:-) 

[Sanch]

Very nice work as you said its a labor of love and you definitely have it nailed down!! I just can't see me ever doing shoes! I've made all kinds of weird stuff even wrapped a motorcycle gas tank but shoes SHEEEW! Way out of my comfort zone! Great job!

[alpha2]

Your dedication and talent amazes me. "In my spare time I make shoes"...that doesn't even exist in my world! Good for you. In my spare time I make belts and holsters for me and bags and whatever she wants for my bride. 

I've kind of fallen into biker accessories...due to working with a Harley driver. Didn't see that one coming! I could do shoes if I put my mind to it. Hmmm.....Not everyone needs holsters, or knife sheaths, or biker accessories...but EVERYONE need shoes...

well, except for my wife. She goes barefoot in Colorado winters. That girl ain't right!

[kiwican]

3 hours ago, goody2shoes said:

And I really struggle with sandles! Just can't get the placement of the straps right, they rub every time! 

How did you make yours?

:-) 

pretty simple to make, I cut the sole rubber to the size I wanted, then cut the veg tan to cover the sole. I have one toe loop for the big toe and one for the arch of the foot. both were measured but taking a strip of leather and sizing it from one side of the toe and arch to the other. figured out how much wiggle room I wanted and then cut slits to feed the leather through. stitched them in place and then glued that to the rubber sole.

[goody2shoes]

Great, I'll give it a go! Somtimes simplicity is the way forward, I always make things so complicated I think I just enjoy getting myself in a muddle and working myself out of it 

[kiwican]

1 minute ago, goody2shoes said:

Great, I'll give it a go! Somtimes simplicity is the way forward, I always make things so complicated I think I just enjoy getting myself in a muddle and working myself out of it 

Lol that statement almost defines the British! and yes, I made mine in about an hour. Field testing has gone well!

 

[goody2shoes]

Definitely very British!! I'll take a leaf out of your book 

thanks

[kiwican]

I really would like to make a pair of boots.

[goody2shoes]

You should, maybe some desert boots the uppers are only three pieces and you don't have to make them on a last, I will try and find some info for you. 

First pair I made I covered the foot in cling film then in masking tape then drew the boot on the masking tapped foot and cut the pattern pieces off added seem allowance lasting allowance and toe room and sewed it all together many many times until I got it right! 

There may be an easier way! 

[kiwican]

1 minute ago, goody2shoes said:

You should, maybe some desert boots the uppers are only three pieces and you don't have to make them on a last, I will try and find some info for you. 

First pair I made I covered the foot in cling film then in masking tape then drew the boot on the masking tapped foot and cut the pattern pieces off added seem allowance lasting allowance and toe room and sewed it all together many many times until I got it right! 

There may be an easier way! 

That would be awesome. thank you!

[goody2shoes]

45 minutes ago, alpha2 said:

Your dedication and talent amazes me. "In my spare time I make shoes"...that doesn't even exist in my world! Good for you. In my spare time I make belts and holsters for me and bags and whatever she wants for my bride. 

I've kind of fallen into biker accessories...due to working with a Harley driver. Didn't see that one coming! I could do shoes if I put my mind to it. Hmmm.....Not everyone needs holsters, or knife sheaths, or biker accessories...but EVERYONE need shoes...

well, except for my wife. She goes barefoot in Colorado winters. That girl ain't right!

http://fav.me/d5x7cl0

For the barefooted maiden. 

Everyone does need shoes, you could make some cool leather boot sleeves to go over motorbike boots!