motorharp | My last shoemaking class!

Well, hopefully not forever. I like learning! This class was the Cement Construction where you actually assemble the shoes. And I did! Here they are:

Already creased from being worn :)

The class was three days. The first day was making the insole, toe caps, and heel counters. The second day was lasting the liner, gluing in the toe cap and heel counter, then lasting the upper. The third day was shaping the sole and gluing that on to make a finished shoe. All of the glue used on the upper was wood glue. It really works! The only thing cemented on is the sole.

I didn't really take photos while I was working because I didn't think of it until they were almost done, and shoemaking is a lot of work.

The inside liner is vegetable tanned leather, and the outside is chrome tanned. I definitely like working with vegetable tanned. It's much more pliable and easy to deal with.

There's a lot of wetting and hammering that goes into getting the leather to do what you want. And a lot of stapling to make things stay in place. And a lot of removing staples. My hands were wrecked at the end of each day to the point I couldn't even hold a book up to read.

I've worn them around a bit and they're pretty comfortable. I'm already planning what changes I would make next time - tightening up the heel, giving my big toenails a little more room, making something with flowers on it. :)

I'm going to go back in a week and get some laces that match the stitching on the uppers.