INTRODUCTION
The handmade footwear, high quality shoes, are made using a network manufacturing process. In the network manufacturing each artisan performs a different step of the production process. When every artisan has completed his task, the shoes are forwarded to the next one.
Step 1: The Design Team
The retailer provides:
feet measurement by hand or measurement by 3D scanner or standard shoes size;
the chosen model;
customization choices, such as:
• leather (calfskin, suede, deer, eel, ostrich, elaphe snake or kangaroo)
• colors
• name or monogram
• other requests
According to customer’s requests, the designer set up the specifications for the last (a brand new one or a modification made on the existing last) [A shoe last is a 3-dimensional wooden or plastic mold upon which a shoe is constructed] and realize a drawing of the shoe following the requests of the customer.
Step 2: The construction of the Shoe Last
Now the artisan will produce a new shoe-last or alternatively the existing one will be amended. The shoe last is the physical basis from where we start making your shoes. A shoe last is a mold that emulates a foot to give the shoe its proper shape.
Step 3: Leather
The artisan selects the leather and paints it as required, if necessary.
Step 4: Leather. Cutting and Sewing
Partly due to the number of pieces used to make one shoe, constructing footwear is a true craft. The pieces needed to make the shoe are cut from high quality leather then in the next shoes manufacturing step the parts are sewn together
Step 5: Assembling the Shoe
The shoe is stitched by the master shoemaker by hand. This is a fundamental phase to determine how your shoes are made. If the footwear is a classic Derby or an Oxford, a technique called Goodyear welting may be used or Blake or Blake/Rapid. For Sneaker or Loafer we have specific sewing technique
Step 6: Insoles and Decoration
Now the pins that were placed in the heel will be removed and the holes they’ve left in the leather sealed. Any ornamental perforation is taken care of at this stage. Or if the finish of the shoe is smooth, seam holes are carefully hidden through a procedure of ironing, dyeing and polishing. Next, the edge of the heel and its outsole are abraded and the visible part of the welt is decorated. The double seam is compacted next and the heel and tips of the sole are dyed. Last but not least, a half-insole with the brand’s logo is inserted and the shoe is carefully cleaned
Step7: The Shoe Room
This is the finishing department where bespoke shoes receive the finishing touches that set them apart from their cheaper cousins. The shoes are polished until gleaming and, if the style requires it, they are laced up
Step 8 and 9: Quality control, packaged and shipping
Each and every shoe then undergoes a thorough final quality check. Then they are packaged and shipped to the retailer.
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