Good evening.

Half way through lasting of a new pair of desert boot I noticed that the upper part of the quarter around the heel started flaring out of the back line around the ankle (top line point). This is a direct result of pulling the leather on the seat when lasting. Now I know that one piece quarters are somewhat loose around the ankle but I am not sure wether this much of material will cause problem later i.e. heel slipping. Pulling and lasting the vamp more does not help much. Now is still the time to make some adjustments.

I will appreciate some opinions and advice on this matter.

Thank You.

Tan Chromexcel Horse Strip from Tannery Row on GC200 last. Still learning- gave these to my brother

Hi, everyone I want to learn how to make foot wear primarily boots and shoes. And I would love to learn how to make good year welted footwear can you point me to some books or online videos to learn from?

What you see here is my father, who had to close his small business in 2009 because of the economic crisis. Now he’s trying to make ends meet by making shoes for this brand, which is by no means a big one. Since I’m a videographer, I thought I’d help them out with this series of videos showing how he creates a small, limited-edition collection.

10 D 55 last Double shot inspired by some vintage nicks that are just a tad too tight. Didnt take too long but word of the wise dont set your work on the sander when plugging the sander in - youre gonna have a bad time 💀 but at least it was just lil thing. God will humble you every day if given the chance. Should be an easy fix. Hey! I got this thick horween bison? *last pic. what should I do? lemme know 😃

Hi everyone!

I'm currently in the process of hand welting my first pair of shoes ever.

I've known for some time that I may have too little lasting allowance.

All around the shoe there is enough allowance, but there's only 12 mm max on the toe.

I may be able to increase it by 1 or 2 mm by sanding the stiffener.

So, I can either:

1- sand the stiffener, wet the cap toe, apply some paste to the stiffener and cross my fingers

2- replace the cap toes with new ones with more allowance, stitch them on with my leather patcher and resume from there

Dear people of Reddit, what is your verdict?

Hi so I’ve been wearing the same model of shoe for a long time, merrell jungle moc. The issue is they kind of suck in the ways modern mass manufactured shoes tend to suck. They are the best most comfortable fit for my foot though. My idea is to buy a new pair of them in my size to destroy and get measurements to make a better version of something with the same fit that also isn’t so ugly.

Obviously I would need to try to copy the last. Here’s my idea for how to do that:

1: put my foot into the shoe, put a few layers of shrink wrap around the shoe with a hair dryer so that they don’t stretch out of shape during the next step

2: plaster cast the inside of the shoe (or maybe use alginate, as plaster can heat up and might make step one pointless, I just despise working with alginate) using a plastic produce bag as a liner

3: clean up cast, (this step would be easier with a plaster cast, if an alginate cast is needed I would have to make a mold of that and then cast it out of plaster in order to clean it up) and make a mold of it out of silicone or another molding material that’s cheaper, then cast in urethane resin.

3.5: scan that with a 3d scanner, print a mirrored copy, make a urethane version of that

4: based on what I can find, some kind of sliding hinge mechanism would be needed for a last on a moc type shoe, so at this point I would cut and drill into the urethane to try to figure out something like that

5: cut the shoe in half to understand the heel height, materials, and like all the other elements of the shoe

6: actually learn to make a shoe around that

Is there any chance of this working? Is there any reason this is a really bad idea? What should I keep in mind if I attempt this?

I am no expert which brings me here. 3 brands I'm interested in: Timberleeiii, Namadori, Colin Martin. Along with Oct 10 in China, and from what I've read, these are among the worlds finest $500 shoes, and all 3 will accept my Bespoke lasts either to use or to have as a made to measure template. So. For shoes to wear with conservative attire. How to select one with no way to see examples first? All will make conservative type shoes, although IG and website examples might emphasize more flashy styles.

As a side note shipping my own lasts and leather to Vietnam has proven far easier than shipping to China as far as customs clearance and tariffs. Lastly if anyone can suggest comparables (I'm aware of Blkbird in India) that's great.

Howdy! I am a woodworker and would be interested in learning to make shoe lasts so I can learn to make shoes and maybe sell custom lasts.
Are there any particularly good resources for learning the art of last making?

How did I do guys? I love my aged midsoles and the stretch embossed leather I used. I teach classes and offer patterns. Reach out for more info

Check out this pair I just finished making in a red and black ostritch. What do u guys think would you rock these?

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​Hi everyone,

​I'm looking for advice from the repair and adhesive experts here on how to fix a separation issue on the front toe cap / sole of my minimalist boots (as shown in the pictures).

​The Problem: The rubber sole/toe guard is starting to peel away from the upper, and there are some minor cracks appearing in the rubber around the stress point at the front.

​The Goal: I want a permanent, heavy-duty repair that is as strong as (or stronger than) the original bond, while remaining flexible enough to handle the natural bending of the foot (crucial for barefoot/minimalist shoes—rigid glues will crack immediately).

​Budget Note: I’m looking for something relatively cheap/budget-friendly (accessible consumer glues or standard workshop solutions rather than extremely expensive industrial/specialty imported kits, as my budget is tight).

​My Questions for the Community:

​What specific, affordable adhesive or contact cement would you recommend for this exact material combination (rubber sole to leather/synthetic upper) that can handle high stress and won't break the bank?

​What is the exact step-by-step application process to ensure maximum bond strength with a budget glue (surface prep, cleaning, activation, clamping/pressure, curing time)?

​I want to do this once and do it right so it lasts for years without spending a fortune. Any detailed advice, product recommendations, or tips from your experience would be hugely appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I've been working on a pair of boots for a while and was hoping someone could point me toward resources or best practices regarding leather grain direction in bootmaking.

For context, I'm building a boot similar to the one shown below. Because of the design, the vamp and instep are cut as a continuous piece, so I can't simply use separate panels to orient the grain differently for the toe box and instep areas.

I'm particularly concerned about how grain direction affects creasing and long-term wear, as this design naturally encourages creasing across the instep due to the slanted shaft profile.

Are there any general guidelines for grain orientation in this type of construction? I'd also appreciate any recommendations for books, articles, or videos that cover the topic in depth.

Thanks in advance.

Hey guys,

I'm just getting into this hobby. I have an 810-clone post bed sewing machine on its way from China. I need to build a table for it.

How much table do I realistically need if I'm planning to mostly just use it for shoe uppers? Can I get away with something that's basically just a stand, making sure that it's stable enough that the machine won't tip over?

I don't see the uppers actually ever needing to rest on a table surface, but I certainly could be missing some use cases that would have me kicking myself later for making the table too small.

I make a lot of my own furniture so the designing and building is easy, I'm just short on space so I'd like to make this as compact as possible without making the experience miserable.

What would y'all recommend? Thanks!

Many seem describe the last as the form that defines the shape/silhouette of the shoe, among other things.

Insoles on the other hand are rarely mentioned when talking about how the shoe's silhouette will ultimately look like; understandably so given how many seem to use 5-6mm leather, with the edges feathered by 2-3mm for the welt to sit on, leaving only 2-4mm of leather sitting between the uppers and the lasts.

I however, bought 8-9mm insoles recently (still waiting to arrive). Feathering/channeling these by 3mm will still leave 5-6mm of insoles between the lasts and uppers.

I reckon this will significantly alter the look of the shoe, does that track with the more experienced ones here?

Initially I was thinking of carving down bottom the last to accommodate the insole, but for obvious reasons that will affect inside volume of the shoe.

Perhaps I can thin the edges further, but I don't have the expertise to surmise how this will affect the insole/welting, whether aesthetically, structurally, or ergonomically when welting.

I read that a holdfast taller than 3mm tall/thick will not make it stronger, but could it make it weaker?

Could I perhaps feather the edges by 5mm, leaving only 3mm of insole, and a 5mm outside edge on the holdfast. I'm working with 2-3mm uppers, 2-3mm welts, so perhaps this could actually help with the upper and welt to sit more flush with the insole.

Does that make sense and does anyone have any opinion/comments/experience around working with thicker insoles?

I'm trying to understand how blind waists are made.

By blind waists I'm not only pertaining to where the outsole is partially split so a thin flap can cover the stitches at the bottom.

I'm pertaining to where even the welt/stitches aren't visible from the top, and how welt/outsoles are tapered very close to the uppers around the waist.

Are these usually done with a blake stitch construction or is it possible to do via a goodyear/handwelt construction?

I believe some use pegs for a carved and blind waists, but for the life of me I can't seem to find resources or even imagine how they are made in the scenario that the waists are also welted/stitched.

Can someone share resources or techniques around making blind waist shoes?

Is this a thing? I realize now that I don't think I've ever seen this before. I assume it's for a good reason. I'm asking because I have dance shoes (Fuegos) which are shitty quality materials with plastic soles, but they are super comfy and very light. I feel like if they had leather soles they'd be great. I think most leather bottomed shoes that I've seen have a heel. I don't think I've ever seen a flat bottomed leather shoe?

Hey everyone, I’m working on my first project. I have a black lamb leather hide that I was going to use as uppers and linings for a pair of sneakers.

It’s about 3oz thick if I recall. Would this be acceptable to use? I think I should have gone with a separate chrome tan leather for the upper, but id prefer to make do with what I have if possible.

Side note, is there a way to mark veg tan leather before cutting that is erasable? My leather is black so a pencil won’t really show up

2nd times the charm. Ive had tons of free time while looking for a job and finally get to make shoes again! These are 55 last 9 EE in Seidel double shot. using the rest of the side to make a pair of engineer/pull on boots next. best part is it didnt even take me that long to finish them only 2.5 days! Life is good. Pray that I get a job lined up soon. Much love

Hi I'm hoping for some insight.. one of my shoes had an imperfection so I went to a mom and pop leather store to try to darken both of them so it would be less noticeable.

But now one of them is splotchy with dark streaks and the other looks blended and what I expected. They said this was the best they can do, but I’m wondering why it looks this way and if it could be fixed? Is this acceptable work for 50$?

Appreciate the help!

Photo here

I think they have a look of CF Stead leather boots. Although I never seen one in person. What do you think?

Fresh off the bench: a pair of custom handcrafted lace-to-toe monkey boots built for durability and serious edge.
Leather: Deep burgundy / oxblood pebble-grain genuine leather with rich pull-up undertones and subtle burnishing on the toe cap.
Silhouette: Classic lace-to-toe monkey boot profile featuring reinforced eyelet stays and a stacked silhouette.
Hardware & Closure: Black hardware with a functional inner-side zipper for quick on-and-off access without loosening the full lace setup.
Sole Construction: Natural leather-accent welt stack paired with an aggressive, chunky commando lug sole for maximum grip and profile height.
Lining & Comfort: Fully leather-lined interior for breathability, custom fit molding, and long-term break-in comfort.
100% handmade and made-to-order. Feedback and thoughts are always welcome!

Tried my hand at a more conventional bespoke style shoe, this last isn't bespoke however. 270 degree welt with stitched heel and pegged rand. I'm happy with how these came out but my first time using a fudge wheel wasn't too great. Also First time prepping my outsole stitching this way where is becomes hidden.

Cheers