Handmade Shoes for Men

Paul gave this book to me for Christmas. It is simultaneously both the best and the worst book that I have ever owned!

Handmade Shoes for Men tells you pretty much everything you need to know about making men’s shoes by hand. The only automated part of the process is the carving of individually-tailored lasts. Every other part of the construction of the shoe is done by hand.

The brilliant part is that I can do this! Secrets have been revealed! I can learn how to make shoes!

The terrible part is that all of the equipment is very specialised, and sometimes expensive, and I still can’t afford to go on any of the courses that teach shoemaking properly. 

But… I’ve learned everything I know about dressmaking and corsetry from a healthy combination of reading books and making things up as I go along. Perhaps it would be possible to learn at least the basics of shoemaking the same way?

I have plans for the lasts I bought from Ebay, and I’m still working on ideas for some developments to the soft slippers that can be made without lasts.

I only wish I’d been brave enough to study Fashion when I left school. I could have had more than ten years’ experience as a shoemaker by now, and be creating beautiful work like this:

Petrol blue wingtip ankle boots by Pakerson, at Forzieri.

(I’d make mine in fuchsia pink, of course…)