Embedded Files
Shoe Redux
A Second Shot at Shoes
That first pair was mainly an experiment to see if I could do it (create a plausible faire shoe for under ten bucks). Now that I know it's possible, I've taken a bit more time, spent an extra dollar (This pair was $3.99!) and made a pair of shoes closer to what I originally had in mind...
I'll publish a more in-depth how-to when they're finished. For now, I'll note the following differences between this pair and the last...
I began with a pair of men's dress shoes already blessed with a buckle latchet and began cutting away from there.
Utilizing what I learned on the first pair, I made smaller cut-outs
I'm still considering whether or not to do pinks or 'cuttes' across the toe-box (which would give it an admittedly noble or at least middle class look). I'll probably do some small cuttes, but from past experience that makes for an odd, boxy fit for any shoe you do it to, so I plan to keep them small and to a minimum.I had to replace the buckle because the old one was emblazoned with the shoemaker's logo and because it was mounted on an elastic band (yick).
Rather than tacking down the seams I had to cut, on this pair I'm re-sewing the seams I pulled out because I want them to last and because I'm a masochist.
In response to Abigail's question about the last pair, this pair has finished edges which I will go back over with leather dye as soon as I find a good match. In this case, by "finished" I mean edged (with a leather edger) and burnished.
Overall I'm quite pleased.
The soles are leather this time... or rather a leather midsole welted to uppers with a rubber lug sole attached-- and re-soleworthy I might add-- with a nice low heel and visible topstitching. Also the color has a definite reddish hue which I liked. Mainly, though I wanted to experiment with a shoe that had a buckle after reading a bit more about the shoes that came up on the Mary Rose (which is earlier than our period and had a different, boxier profile) and looking at the extant 16th century paintings that show feet... they they are mostly noble feet so one must needs extrapolate, of course.
-Scott
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse