Foot-shaped shoes

[tozafoot]

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

[Sheilajeanne]

Very nice! Reminds me of the Roman shoe I posted earlier this week in Leather History!

[tozafoot]

Thanks, Sheilajeanne! Some of the shoes made by Romans, Greeks and other pre-industrial societies were *way* better for feet than what we can buy today. Not all of them, by any means (some mediaeval designs look like deformation devices to me). But heels were uncommon, and soles were typically flexible. Toe shapes were sometimes tapering (the shoe you posted being an example), but some of the designs were asymmetrical around the center-line of the foot... as they should be, if the foot has any hope of moving naturally.

I found Marquita Volken’s 2014 Archaeological Footwear: development of shoes patterns and styles from prehistory till [sic] the 1600’s [sic] a fascinating source of information on “ancient’ designs. I also learned a lot from The “Footwear of the Middle Ages” website at http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~Marc-Carlson/shoe/SHOEHOME.HTM Would love to hear about other good sources of information on pre-industrial patterns and shoe-making techniques. (So much shoe-making knowledge has been lost, as it was not written down before the experts passed away...)

[mikesc]

Those are great..as is your blog

The older I get, the more I think I'm going to have to begin making my own shoes and boots ( and sandals )..In the house I'm barefoot as much as possible, even in winter here, because my feet get too hot, and because all the shoes are "tapered" ( and the quality is crap, apart from some steel reinforced toe and steel protective soled shoes and boots that I have bought..got 10 pairs of each in my size 13/14/15 ( depending on who makes them ), in case they stop selling them..I hope to outlive them all  ), but even in them ( they are tapered slightly ) my feet get too hot when indoors or in the workshop..But I need the steel toe area when working on heavy stuff ( crushed a big toe 8 years ago when setting up a 400 lb log for sculpture, it rolled onto my toe, which was not in steel protection..foot and leg still give me pain and circulation problems even now, which is why sometimes I'm on here at 3.00am posting because of pain in leg or foot..) ..for some reason "store bought leather sandals" do come vaguely "foot shaped..I have some..but the soles ( thick PU with "airspaces in cells") are sort of glued on..badly..I'm going to have to stitch the sandals to their soles ( sideways ) to prevent them parting company every month or so..So, I'm very interested in this thread, and will be in any others that you make..and in your blog..

*also wearing sandals when welding is a bad idea..how do I know this ?

Edited July 3, 2019 by mikesc

[Sheilajeanne]

Quote

*also wearing sandals when welding is a bad idea..how do I know this ?

  Gee, let me guess.... 

[Aven]

Nice job!  I'm looking forward to reading, and probably re-reading, your blog.  I like your approach.  You and Jason Hovatter of Laughing Crowe are kindred spirits.  He teaches unlasted shoe construction for the same reasons you started making shoes, to have something that fits and allows the foot to do what it should be doing without being deformed from the shoe.

Thanks for sharing!

[tozafoot]

Thanks for the kind words, @mikesc and @Aven . I started making my own footwear after one of my big toes decided it had had enough of being forced into tapering toeboxes (no need to drop a 400lb log on it  — ouch, that sounds painful, @mikesc). Four years on, I am making everything I need, although each lasted/welted pair still takes me a long time. The first lasted/welted pairs I made have lasted (haha) more than 3 years now, and have worn very well indeed, even though I only used cheap upholstery leather for the uppers. 

One thing I hadn’t realized would happen is that my feet would change shape significantly in shoes with decent toe room and flat, flexible soles — so much so, that I now can’t wear the first several unlasted pairs I made, because they are now the wrong shape for my new, improved feet. Shoes really are deformation devices, and most of us don’t realize until it’s too late. One of these days, I’ll get round to posting an overview of some of the scientific literature I’ve been reading about the effect shoes have on our bodies: to quote from one 2009 study comparing ppl who habitually go barefoot or shod “…footwear that fails to respect natural foot shape and function will ultimately alter the morphology and the biomechanical behaviour of the foot” (ref: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19424280903386411 ), and to quote another “Footgear is the greatest enemy of the human foot” (ref:: http://refs.ahcuah.com/papers/shulman.htm ). This latter study looked at more than 5000 people who had never worn shoes, and found that the incidence of a huge number of foot problems was far, far, far lower than in habitually shod populations.

@Aven, thanks for recommending Jason Horvatter. I did his internal stitchdown boot class last year, because I wanted to learn about his patterning techniques (I find making patterns difficult, so all tips are useful) and about the internal stitchdown technique he’d invented for attaching uppers to soles without needing to use a last. At the time, doing the class was the only way to learn his internal stitchdown technique, but now he has produced a video on it: well worth the investment, in my view. 

The more people who want foot-shaped shoes, the better. Hopefully, the more of us there are, the more mass-produced foot-shaped shoes will become available. There are more on the market now than when I started making my own in desperation, but there are absolutely not enough retail choices yet. So I keep making my own, and can recommend it as a way to get something that will fit you way better than any “bought” footwear. Not to mention the fierce satisfaction of making something more unique, sustainable and better-fitting than what one can buy — just with one’s own brain, hands and a few tools! 

@mikesc I saw that in one of your other posts you mentioned that English schools used to teach kids how to do all kinds of practical things — it’s a tragedy that they no longer do so (what schools anywhere still do?). Now we have to learn patchily as adults, if we have the time and the money. What’s more, resources for teaching yourself are frustratingly hard to find. Which is one of the reasons I started blogging about what I’m doing, and why, in case it helps other people to make their own footwear. So if you find my blog useful in any way, that’s wonderful! 

(Edited for typos — why is it I never see them until after something’s posted? )

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by tozafoot

[Aven]

I took his internal stitch down class last April.  I learned a lot from Jason during class, but I'm glad I got the DVD.  I couldn't work on the shoes and take notes at the same time.  He has a method that is easy to learn, at least it was for me.  I loved the way the shoes turned out even if I haven't made another pair yet.  But I will.  I agree, it is well worth the time and money investment.  Just need to get the bathroom remodel done so I can focus on the shoes. 

I'm enjoying your blog, the writing and the photos. Its nice work.  You've got a gift. Have you tried Renia Aliquim waterbased glue?  I've heard lots of good things about it.

[tozafoot]

@Aven Glad you’re finding the blog interesting. I know what you mean about how difficult it is to take notes at the same time as working on shoes. Thank goodness for smartphones, because at least one can take photos as one proceeds, although that’s not always easy when shoemaking, as both hands are needed for the shoe! I’ve tried to remember to take photos at key points, so that I can write photo-essays... as much for myself as a way of documenting what I did, and why, as for other people. I recently did a woodworking course, and the photos have been really useful in helping me remember what to do, when. I know some people take full video and sound recording these days, but it then takes so much work to find the exact bits that pertain to the stage in question when trying to work out what to do next. I know Jason used a professional video producer to put out his turnshoe and stitchdown boot videos.

 No, I’ve not tried the Renia Aliquim — thanks for the tip! Very timely, and I will investigate, as I am about to finish my bottle of EcoWeld (from Tandy Leather, recommended to me by Sharon Raymond of Simple Shoemaking). The EcoWeld has been fine for me so far. Very simple to use, not smelly at all, rubs off fine if misapplied, and one little bottle has lasted me 4+ years. I don’t use much glue: only a dab of EcoWeld here and there for holding small pieces together until I can sew them (I could also use double-sided sticky tape for this), and for holding sole pieces together until they’re secured by stitching. Also, following the recommendation of Paul Thomas at Paul Thomas shoes, I’ve been using hirschkleber (bought from Sorrell Notions and Findings) between my wet veg-tanned toe caps and heel counters and the upper and lining). I think that pot of hirschkleber will last me decades at the rate I am using it!

I wish I didn’t have to use barge cement at all: I’ve been racking my brain as to how I could stitch on the rubber sole (which I need, walking miles on cement and tarmac sidewalks every day). I did stitch a crepe sole onto one unlasted pair, but crepe isn’t a robust enough soling material for me. I can’t think how to securely stitch the Vibram Newporter sole, which has the best combination of flexibility and durability of all the flat Vibram soles I’ve tried: Elvis wears too quickly, and Freestone isn’t flexible enough. What I really want is a way to make my own durable and flexible rubber soles, with stitching holes in necessary places. No rubber wastage when fitting them, and no solvent exposure. Also, if they;re designed right, it’d be easier to replace the bits that wear fast (like the heel and midfoot areas). I’d also like to make my own foot-shaped rubber boots (“Wellies”). Maybe 3D printing and/or modern materials science will help... If anyone reading this has ideas about this, please get in touch — I think there’s a big market opportunity for diy soles!

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by tozafoot
Typos

[kiwican]

Really great shoe! 

[chuck123wapati]

very cool modern moccasins lol.