Putting Handmade Bespoke Shoe Uppers Onto Their Lasts

Video Description

We discuss the process of putting on the uppers onto the last and other elements to give the shoe the final form: https://gentl.mn/uppers-onto-lasts-bespoke-shoes #bespoke #shoes #notsponsored SHOP THE VIDEO: → Shadow Stripe Socks Burgundy & Light Gray: https://gentl.mn/burgundy-light-grey-stripesocks SEE THE FULL BESPOKE SHOE SERIES PLAYLIST HERE: → https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwC33qrNZRbD7TbLzHKmPoji72brt3bTh VIDEO CREDITS: → Scriptwriter: E.J. Daniels → Camera: Lukas Mooney & Chris Dummer → Editing: Chris Dummer → Visual Supervision: Preston Schlueter Bespoke Shoes Created by Amara Hark Weber Visit Amara at https://harkweberstudio.com Want to see more videos? Subscribe to our channel! → https://gentl.mn/youtube Become a part of the Gentleman's Gazette community - support us on Patreon! https://gentl.mn/patron Want to join our team? Take a look at our open positions! https://gentl.mn/work-with-us ________________________________________________________________________ Gentleman's Gazette https://gentl.mn/homepage-gentlemansgazette02 https://gentl.mn/fortbelvedere-shop02 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gentlemansgazette Gentleman Quiz: https://gentl.mn/3min-gentlemansgazette-quiz2 00:00 Uppers & Lasts Introduction The series chronicles, the creation of a bespoke pair of shoes from start to finish with shoemaker Amara. In this video, shoes take the final shape as uppers are put on last and the structural elements are added to give a shoe the final form. 00:48 1. "First Lasting" - Pulling the Uppers Into Shape Pulling the uppers of the last can happen in three ways. The first one is what is called “wet lasting.” The second is called “dry lasting,” and the third one is a combination of both. Wet lasting versus dry lasting is a major debate in the shoemaking world, but there’s no obvious right choice. 03:14 2. Structural Pieces: Heel Cap, Toe Puff & Sideliners For two reasons. Number one: they provide structural integrity. Let’s say someone steps on you, the shape of the shoe will pop back in place and not look ruined. These pieces also provide additional support for your foot. 06:28 Preparing & Skiving the Structural Pieces All of these pieces will be skived to the perfect depth and feathered along the edges so there will be no harsh lines later on. These pieces will sit in between the leather and the uppers. 07:26 Removing the Uppers from the Last Structural pieces have to go in between the upper layer and the lining layer and you can’t do that while it’s on the last. 08:00 Adhering the Heel Cap Amara now takes that heel cap and just bends it onto the last heel, and you can see it already takes that shape rather easily. Amara then applies a special paste to that heel cap, which helps as an adhesive to basically glue it to the interior lining into the uppers. But, once it’s dry, it also stiffens the heel cap to get the desired structural integrity. 08:56 Inserting the Sideliners Amara wets her hands repeatedly to get rid of any excess glue that might dry on the uppers. It’s then time for inspection of the entire shoe. If there are any wrinkles, Amara removes them by pushing with her hands. 09:37 Re-attaching the Uppers to the Last To help a structural heel cap and sideliners really get into shape, it’s best to put the uppers with those structural elements back onto the last, so that means re-lasting the shoe. 10:02 Trimming & Adhering the Uppers to the Insoles It’s time to really adhere the uppers to the shoe. After removing the nails one by one and maybe even cutting off some excess leather, the leather pieces are adhered to the bottom insole with a paste. 12:30 Adhering the Toe Puff Last but not least, it’s time to add the toe puff. Amara carefully peels off the outermost upper leather layer in the toe area, while leaving the lining on there, and in between goes the toe puff. 13:56 Smoothing the Toe Puff Now that the toe puffs have gotten into shape. It’s time to work on them and smooth them out. By doing that, the wearer later experiences maximum comfort, and you also get a better look at the toe cap. 16:04 Conclusion