The Crispin Colloquy

FABRIZIO GIANSOLDATI » Mon Aug 31, 2015 1:40 pm wrote:
I think you want to see this (is the maximum that I could do), but I have other photos if you like

Fabrizio

Thank you for the larger photo. We are a little "OT" (off topic) here but photos and photo essays are an established and welcome convention on this forum, esp. in the various threads that address technique.

Parenthetically, if your camera will generate larger photos, the forum software will automatically display them relatively small but, at the same time, allow members to click on them for a closer look.

These monks are my latest project.

I had made them originally on a factory last I got for cheap. I did not bother to make a test shoe, the result was a shoe which did not look at all the way I imagined it. It looked weird, with a front part way too short and a heel way too high.

But since I liked the leather - horse - and the design, I decided to recycle the upper instead of throwing the shoes away. I took the shoe apart, sewed on some toe caps (originally they were plain toes) to make them fit and lasted the upper on a better, customized last.

And here is the result. The lesson I learned is to make a test shoe when I am not sure how the shoe is going to look like on a new last...

These are my Frankenstein sneakers.

They are made out of scraps of horse leather for the toes and welt, some old cow for the sides and Kangaroo leather for the vamp and quarters.

The Kangaroo leather comes from a pair of shoes I had to take apart again because of nasty creases.

The lessons I learned is to not order leather from ebay and do not try to use dried out Kangaroo leather for shoes which are supposed to look smooth...

But I do like how these here turned out. They actually have a heel, concealed by the welt and are so much more comfortable than Converse.

BTW...all my shoes are old and in use, so there are wrinkles and scars

Hello Alexander, and welcome!

I'm very impressed by your work! "Self taught", taking apart old shoes, rearranging pieces and creating something new. Man! You've got some experience just having the courage to dive in the way you have. Your monks are beautiful and your sport shoes are unique.

You're going to be a great addition to the shoe making community!

I'm over in Prescott AZ, if you ever come this way for a visit please stop in.

With Regards,
Paul

Dear Paul,
thank you so much for your kind words.
I'm humbled and flattered by positive feedback, specially if it comes from expert craftsmen like you.

There are so many questions I'd like to ask you guys, but I will first read the forum and check if they are already answered before I bug you with inane questions.
Cheers,
A.

Herr_Leeb » Sat Sep 05, 2015 6:14 am wrote: There are so many questions I'd like to ask you guys, but I will first read the forum and check if they are already answered before I bug you with inane questions.
Cheers,
A.

By all means do that if only to familiarize yourself with what's available and guide you in where it is most appropriate to ask.

But understand that the reason the forum exists is to engage in conversation and discussion--that's what "Colloquy" means.

It really doesn't matter if a question has been asked before...ask it again. There may be more people with different insights reading the board than there were when the question was originally asked. Then too we all learn and presumably continue to grow. So the answers may be different than they were the first time around.

Beyond that, everybody benefits from a question asked and answered...from knowledge shared...even if different, even opposing points of view are expressed. The newcomer learns, the experts learn, neutral observers learn. Simply articulating a point of view so that it can be understood by others, clarifies and deepens our own understanding. The teacher learns twice.

Noted, dw! Very cool of you guys, thanks.
BTW, I beat you to it and already posted my first question about insoles
Cheers,
A.

Herr_Leeb » Sat Sep 05, 2015 7:33 am wrote:Noted, dw! Very cool of you guys, thanks.
BTW, I beat you to it and already posted my first question about insoles
Cheers,
A.

These shoes have a quite fun story and shed some light on the mistakes one can make if he makes shoes without experience or skills.

Inspired by Maftei shoes (Vienna) I had made some seamless wholecuts out of kangaroo leather which looked fantastic as long as they were on the last. However, when I put them on, within a few hours they developped some horrible creasing.
Since I was not aware that this can happen with low quality, dry Kangaroo I blamed the last and construction for it. I threw them away and made these out of much thicker french calf on a different last. Skipped the seamless part though.

To avoid creasing, I put in a midsole and side stiffeners made out of shoulder leather. Together with the extra stiff insole I made out of outsole leather the result is a pretty rigid shoe which does not bend much.
The toes wore down quickly and I had to put on some metal toe plates.
The shoes are wearable, however my gait is a little bit like Herman Munster.
Hardly any creasing though, even after over a year of wear

For your entertainment, here is an example of one of my straight-to-trash endeavours. I made them as a test shoe for a vintage last from the thirties.
Became aware of my faux pas after I finished welting when there was nothing I could do to correct the problem anymore. So I just glued on the outsoles and woodpegged them to be able to see how well the last works for me.
For my defense I have to say that I prefer plain toe shoes and had not made it a habit yet to check if the shoe I am lasting looks exactly like the shoe I lasted the day before...
Did I learn something from that?
Yuuuup. Lay off the booze when lasting

But since the last was a little bit spiffy for an old goat like me and I ended up in making it shorter, no harm was done.

Just in case you did not catch it, the second picture will clarify.

latest for me--French calf jodhpurs, slightly antiqued. One inch heel, machine sewn forepart beveled (not fiddleback) waist.

Beautiful DW!
Definitely falls somewhere in the hierarchy of excellence spectrum!
Paul

Thanks Paul.

I've gotten quite a bit of feedback on this pair mostly because of the profile--people generally like it and like the back curve, which differs from the run-of-the mill RTW jodhpur.

I thought I would add that the profile of this boot/shoe is only what it should be, IMO. It is bespoke, after all, and much of the shape relies on the measurements that came off the foot.

I do put a curve in the back that is not often found in RTW but again...chalk it up to bespoke.

That said, the jodhpur is more like a dress wellington than a lace-up shoe. It must fit pretty closely over the instep in order to hold the foot securely. Otherwise it is only the ankle strap holding the foot in place...the heel can slip while walking and the shoe be loose over the instep--not a fit, IMO.

In the same vein, another customer mentioned that he liked where I had located the eyes on a pair of George boots I made for him--the pair I posted here on 6 July.

Again, nothing more than making for a customer. This is even more critical in the George boot than the jodhpur because the george opens to the waist of the foot.

Where I set the laces on george and chukka boots is fundamentally where the top of the laces would be on an oxford or a derby (at or just above the low instep) and for the same reason--to hold the instep down and back. If the laces are set too high the only point of security is at the front of the ankle, and it would allow the foot to slide forward as well as tend to bind the ankle when the foot was flexed.

Logical thinking as usual, that bit about the low instep.
Did you crimp a FW vamp for them?
Are they made on a boot last or your shoe model?
This looks like a very challenging style to make.
Paul

paul » Thu Sep 17, 2015 12:38 pm wrote:Logical thinking as usual, that bit about the low instep.

Thanks.

Did you crimp a FW vamp for them?

No, special crimping board for jodhpurs.

Are they made on a boot last or your shoe model?

Shoe last, although for ankle boots like this I could wish for a spring hinge. The SAS hinge is hard to deal with down inside the shoe.

This looks like a very challenging style to make.

Once the blockers...front and back...are crimped, it's pretty straightforward. Folding all the edges is a pain.

Thank you.

D.W., you should try the PAC hinge, it's the same as the SAS only you don't have to trip te switch, you just pull it forward.

courtney » Sun Sep 20, 2015 12:04 am wrote:D.W., you should try the PAC hinge, it's the same as the SAS only you don't have to trip te switch, you just pull it forward.

Courtney,

Do you have a photo of one?

Not sure this will work...maybe?

^ Thank you.

Here's a series of "golden oldies"...before digital cameras.
Some of these I'd forgotten...

One other "Golden Oldie" taken back when he had all his hair and was still kind of purty...

Full wellington class, IIRC.

Young Jake...

Dee-Dubb,

Well.....you know how to get me out of the shadows!

Started looking at the "oldies" you were posting saying to myself...."now we're talking"! Magnificent boots right and left, and then....BAM!

Two can play this game Ol'Buddy! But I won't! Thanks for bringing back some fond memories!!

I have to say Dee-Dubb, your cowboy boots give me chilly bumps! The lines and contours are just fantastic! Where did you ever find that many perfect feet? All I get are those squared-toed, fat-footed gorillas!

Love Ya Man!!

Adios, Jake

homeboy » Mon Sep 21, 2015 3:51 pm wrote:Dee-Dubb,

Well.....you know how to get me out of the shadows!

Started looking at the "oldies" you were posting saying to myself...."now we're talking"! Magnificent boots right and left, and then....BAM!

Two can play this game Ol'Buddy! But I won't! Thanks for bringing back some fond memories!!

I have to say Dee-Dubb, your cowboy boots give me chilly bumps! The lines and contours are just fantastic! Where did you ever find that many perfect feet? All I get are those squared-toed, fat-footed gorillas!

Love Ya Man!!

Adios, Jake

Well, the boots surprised me some but seeing your photo really made me grin. You need to come in out of the shadows more often. I'll see if I can't find that photo of you in your kilt doing the William Wallace moon thing, blue paint and all.

Thanks.

The "Man" that makes the forum "What" it is.....My mentor, my Master, but most importantly, my Good Friend! D.W. Frommer, II