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

Hi all, wanted to show you a pair of freshly finished suede boots.

The idea was to make a casual but still sleek enough boot for everyday wear. Client was fond of chocolate brown suede, so I paired the leather with antique brass eyelets and hooks (NOS from the 1950s). The soft dark leather contrasts beautifully with the brass.

I lined the boots with vegetable tanned leather for maximum comfort and breathability. And as they are handwelted, the vegtan insole will also form a good footbed. I used a bit of cork for filling the cavity, a thick leather shank, and then outseamed by hand, also using linen thread and boar bristles. You can see the contrasting stitches on the welt.

Heels are stacked leather, glued and pegged in place using wooden pegs. And finishing up, half-soles and rubber top lifts are Vibram. I also used edge irons and wax for the edges.

Pretty happy with how this pair turned out. Dark brown is rather difficult to photograph, the colour on these is a bit deeper in reality, making the hardware and the welt stitches pop very nicely.

If you're interested to see more of my shoes and process, check out my instagram - @g.lisajeviciene

- Pajar Seal skin boots, from the 60/70’s maybe.
- Crepe sole is in pretty bad shape and is super hard. Maybe I should sand them down?
- The pelt is in nice condition.
- zipper is hard to use but it might be salt and grime from the Quebec winters.

I found these at the thrift for 20$.

If I’m planning to restore them. What should I consider first?

Has anyone done this before.

I’ve been planning to build these for over a year now, and I’m really excited to finally wear them.

The specs are:

Upper: midnight blue yak from pelo leather, partially lined with veg tan goat leather

Last: Munson last from valevro

Sole: vibram v100s Heel: vibram roccia

Construction: 270° veltschoenen

I chose the construction both out of curiosity and out of fun because I like to experiment. Obviously I did make some mistakes but considering it was my first attempt they only have some visual flaws. Things I’d do differently would definitely be that I fit the heel stiffener better to the heel counter and I’ll adjust the pattern to fit me better. And most importantly I will try to source a better fitting sole. It was the biggest I could find and a size bigger than the boots. But with the anatomical shape of the Munson last it was very difficult to place the sole because it was too narrow. Originally I planned to have two rows of stitching on the welt but I was struggling to even fit the one.

But most importantly they are comfortable and wearable. I registered them for the patina thunderdome ( not with any intention to win) as my deadline to finish them. I’ll wear them anyway as much as possible.

I’m looking for a more affordable way to sand edges, soles, etc since a proper line finisher is out of my budget for now.

I’ve been looking at some cheaper belt sanders on Amazon and Harbor Freight, but I’m curious what other hobbyists are using.

Has anyone had good luck with these, or is there another setup you’d recommend?

Hey everyone, just finished crafting this pair and wanted to share the final result.
Upper: Tan suede leather
Details: Western-inspired carved/engraved buckle strap
Shape: Chiseled square toe with leather sole construction
Pure pair ko hath se craft kiya hai. Heel profile, silhouette aur stitching finish par kaafi focus kiya hai.
Design aur overall look par aap logo ka kya feedback hai?
Criticisms aur thoughts dono welcome hain!

My simple take on making tanker boots. I made them from Blue Water Buffalo and Black Yak Skin. A good first try but back to the pattern. I can not wait to try it again.

While waiting for some leather to arrive, I'm trying to build my own lasting jack and I want some insight on what features more experienced shoemakers/cordwainers would deem necessary and nice to have.

For what it's worth I'm planning to build both shoes and boots up to 16" in the future.

I'm aware of plans and ready made ones out there, and that some even use simple bench vices or even their laps. Just enjoy the process of building so I'm applying it here as well.

One particular question I have is I see some bootmakers that handwelt like White's seem to do it standing up on a tall lasting post with a tilting toe support, but do the handwelting on sitting but still with a help of a smaller stand. I was planning to build one for sitting, but was wondering if lasting while standing up could be easier, perhaps to apply body weight when pulling leathers.

I can work with metal, machine parts, and am in South East Asia so I can build something really robust without going overboard on cost.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thank you

Hi everyone,

I’m measuring my feet to order my first lasts from Spenle (shoemakercraft). I’m measuring my feet according to the instructions, but my measurements for length and ball girth have varied by about .25 inches. I’m putting some cardstock on the floor, with my heel against the wall.

Should I go with the larger measurements of my feet to be safe? Or do I need to keep remastering until I’m absolutely sure. I’m afraid I’ll keep remeasuring and get slightly different results each time

How might I find a legitimate shoemaking class? No just decorating, real construction. Specifically ladies’ shoes.

I don’t know which companies are considered authentic and which offer online classes just to make a quick buck.

Thanks

i did end up putting a tyre wedge sole on it, but failed to take a picture because i was distracted being disappointed by the fit. it came down to a couple key factors i believe. first was i neglected to actually check to see if the insole was the correct size for my foot because i foolishly assumed that the measurements couldnt possibly be too far from the original. i measured it using the first row of stitch holes on the old lasting board and thought that would be sufficient. second was the cork filler. i shouldve built up layers and shaved off only what i needed to after, instead i used a pretty thick cut of cork and ended up sanding it down unevenly due to not having a last to keep the shape true. i ended up with the back of the heel feeling a bit too raised, the waist feeling shallow, the ball feeling raised due to too much cork, and the toes being cramped due to the footbed being too small. such a shame, because i think it LOOKS pretty good, but looks dont make a good shoe.

Which leather would you guys use for the second rand? I know that the first rand (under the sole in 270° GYW) is made out of shoulder/belly, like the welt.

I saw some of the Japanese makers use sole bend leather for the second rand, so the same that's used for soles and heel lifts.

I was wondering if regular tooling shoulder could also work the same since it is easier to get into the horseshoe shape. If it's too soft, couldn't I just mellow it and compress it with a hammer?

Just finished this pair that mixes a workboot with a slip on mule. 360° handwelted on a vibram crepe sole.

A bit of a challenge, I've tried to build this pair with no power tools and no electricity. Sanding the soles by hand sucks immensely, but this is the result. For the rest, it was fun. I don't like sewing machines anyway and very much prefer the thick look of saddle stitches. Reheating the cement with a blowtorch rather than a heat gun also works, so now I know that I could become an off-the-grid shoemaker.

I think the soles will benefit from a bit of power sanding once the photoshoot is done.

Stitchdown construction with my signature wavy leather strip. Italian vegtan leather. Saphir Teinture Française dye. Rubber midsole and Dr.Sole ripple sole cemented to it.

Help please before my beautiful Japanese leather boots become airborn

Grant me some leeway on the wording, I'm aware not all chrome-tanned leather, thin leathers, veg-tanned, etc. leathers behave the same.

That said, I'm pertaining to Chelsea, Jodhpur, Engineer boots, Pull-on boots etc. where the leather for vamps/fronts are crimped in addition to lasting to assume a shape.

If the leather being used for the upper doesn't lend well to wet-molding or stiffening after wetting and drying them, are they generally lined with leather that does?

In contrast for dress shoes, I believe stiffeners are added to the toebox so it doesn't flatten out.

For shoes in general and laced boots, I see less of a concern here as the patterning and stitching of the uppers/quarters/vamp could be enough to define its shape.

Can anyone give guidance on using more flexible/elastic/floppy leathers for bootmaking?