Indigofan » Feet

Shoe Lasts Australia

Matt — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 03:54:18 +0000

Following advice from Captains of Industry we travelled up to Thomastown to visit Shoe Lasts Australia.

It was interesting to see the remaining custom shoe last factory in Australia. As you’d expect, the market for lasts in Australia has been declining. Their main customers now are R.M.Williams, J.Robins, and custom medical/ortho. Almost all the new lasts are high-density plastic, so the wooden feet are rare.

Bruce was kind enough to take me around the factory and give me some advice on what to do, and he suggested that if you can make shoes well, he see there is a gap in the market for custom medical/orthopedic footwear.

I got off-the-shelf lasts for my whole family. I just need to drum up the time, tools, and courage to start trying to make some shoes.

Put this on

Matt — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:57:25 +0000

You’ve probably seen these videos which have been passed around tweets/blogs recently.

I didn’t learn much from the videos except for the one tip in the shoes video on how to tie your shoelaces correctly. If you tie the first twist one way, and then tie the loop twist the opposite way… then you can essentially create a REEF KNOT. The laces will lie flatter and neatly on your shoes. They’re more likely to stay tied – no need for an extra double loop. And when you pull the laces undone, they don’t jam up. I can’t believe that I’ve been tying my laces in granny knots my whole life.

Shoes

Put This On, Episode 2: Shoes from Put This On on Vimeo.

Denim

Put This On, Episode 1: Denim from Put This On on Vimeo.

A Couple of Videos (Horween, Alden)

Matt — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:38:26 +0000

I’d been meaning to post these videos for a while. You’ve probably seen them already…

Horween’s Shell Cordovan Video

Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan from Horween Leather on Vimeo.

Epaulet’s Alden Video

Epaulet presents: the Alden Shoe Company from Epaulet Shop on Vimeo.

Raw leather shoes

Matt — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:37:20 +0000

You should buy these. I think they’ll look awesome with your denim.

http://www.blackbirdballard.com/Esquivel_Blackbird_Boot_11035.html
They’re beyond me.

Here are some similar options.

http://www.chukai.ne.jp/~motos/leather&silver/index2.html
http://www.e-workers.net/pc/pc_moto/1.htm

Scarpa Attack

Matt — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:56:23 +0000

In recent years I’ve been focusing on classic construction shoes/boots featuring fully-welted soles and leather lining, but I thought I’d take a few pics of my old friends.

Scarpa Attacks.

These shoes have been through a lot. They’ve easily done over 1000km, and have been through China, Nepal, the Flinders Ranges, the Grampians, Wilson’s Promontory, the Errinundra Plateau, and other places I’ve forgotten. They’ve also seen more than their fare of mosh-pits (not what they’re designed for).
They’re a very comfortable shoe. The lining is not leather (which can kill your feet to break-in), but it is a synthetic paper-cloth which has worked really well and was instantly comfortable when I first got the boots.
I use to put a lot of sno-seal into the leather. For the last couple of years I haven’t been using the sno-seal… the shoes have a nice “old” look about them.
The soles have worn down too much now.

They’re not comfortable to walk in. I’m going to see if I can get them re-soled, but I doubt that they will be the same again.

Home Cobbler Action

Matt — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:32:40 +0000

I didn’t like how my Allen-Edmonds have the edge of the sole and heel painted black. It is a thick black colour that looked plastic, and aesthetically the colour didn’t fit with the cordovan of the shoe (see my previous pictures). So I sanded the black colour off to reveal the shades of layered leather.

I’m not actually sure what the top layer-edging material is. It’s black, but I’m unsure if it’s plastic.

The sanded leather was very pale, so I rubbed in some sno-seal which has created some darker-richer shades. It’s not perfect, and my sanding is inconsistent, but it’s a huge improvement on the black.

Buzz Rickson M-43 Service Shoes

Matt — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:08:40 +0000

The suede is immediately comfortable – compared to all leather boots which can take months to break-in. I really like the paraffin wax treatment of the suede – it gives the boots a nicely burnished appearance.

They’re also cheaper than the Toys McCoys version (a remake of Steve McQueen’s Great Escape shoes).

Here’s a link to the Buzz Ricksons product page, and the boots on sale at Hinoya.

Allen-Edmonds Cambridge Cordovan

Matt — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:14:57 +0000

I’d been looking at this pair of AE cordovan shoes for the past 12 months. To tell the truth I felt that the colour looked muddy (it looks nicer in these pictures than in reality) and I was unsure if the wing-tip brogue style was something I could wear (I wear jeans everyday, and everytime I tried the shoes on they looked slightly odd). So I hesitated for 12 months, and finally decided to get them since they’re the only cordovan shoes that I’ve seen in Australia, and they were at a bargain price.

I guess that they’d been in the store a lot longer than 12 months since AE don’t offer the Cambridge style shoe anymore. They also have a few scratches and dings from shop handling.

I noticed this strange white deposit on the tongue of the left shoe. Perhaps it’s cocaine…

Anyway, the shoes are a burgundy colour. The edges have black piping which I don’t think is cordovan. The waxed laces are a bit sticky. You can see the irregularity of the colouring on the cordovan pieces on this next pic.

The sole is quite stiff and thick, but I’m sure it will break-in over time.

I’m quite excited to see how these shoes age over time. The descriptions that I’ve read about shell cordovan are very impressive. The shoes will probably outlast this blog.

You can read about shell cordovan:

here

and here at horween

NDC Shoes

Matt — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:06:15 +0000

Well, this is the first non-denim post for indigofan. Shoes.

NDC make some unique designs with interesting washes/treatments. The materials are first rate, and the quality excellent.

The boat shoe has a rather thin sole, but is good for kicking back.

Jhoe is extremely jealous of these suede brogues. They have a fully welted sole (goodyear). They’re also now available in brown.

NDC (Nom De Code) Made By Hand