deconstructed fashion plate - Page 2

DFWII,

so the true function of the cork in a shoe with gemming, is to hold the gemming piece in place. And not, as claimed by the Allen Edmonds guy in the Youtube link, to have a softer bed for the feet to rest on?

So are you saying that John Lobb RTW, Edward Green and C&J are all made like a Wal-Mart shoe?

You would be surprised what has been found or not found for that matter in certain shoes that one would expect being above par. And for certain things, a form of self censure is sometimes used. P.S. : and as aside note, it is not my website, but just a site that belongs to/or is attached to this forum : http://depiedencap.leforum.eu/index.php

Thornton "Textbook of Footwear Manufacture" (which I have in front of me) was published in 1953.

"˜Gemming' with a strip of fabric was universally introduced into machine-welted footwear sometime between the late 50s and mid 60s. It replaced the older technique of a machine-cut welt, which was bent-up at a right ankle to accept the welt. (Illustrations taken from Thornton.)



A cut was placed from either side into the insole, those two sections were folded up and the welt was attached to that leather. This leather 'holdfast' was turned up at 90 degrees against the direction of the insole. I did enquire about the reasons, but of course as this change came about half a century ago, I did not find anybody within the shoe industry in Northampton who had actually worked with it.

Apparently that traditional method had the great disadvantage, once the insole leather dried out and with the bending of the sole from walking that the 'holdfast' tore off. Ever since the beginning of this technique the insole needed to be gemmed, not with a strip but with a piece of textile, covering the bottom of the insole in it's entirety. Once the leather tore, the glued fabric held the ridge in place. So, it was a small step to replace the full sole backer with a narrow strip.

http://www.archive.org/details/story_of_shoes_1

http://www.archive.org/details/story_of_shoes_2

This film (from the early 50s, I would guess) shows the traditional way the insole was prepared (Part 1 - from 3:27 - 4:51, with the gemming clearly visible from 4:21 on).

I don't deny that probably one of the reasons for the change was cost saving. At that same time the radio valve was replaced by the transistor and (maybe a bit later) fusible interfacings were introduced into garment making. And even with the very few manufacturers who still use a floating canvas, they do their pad-stitched by machine (apart from Oxxford, I believe).

Yes, DW, I agree a well-done hand-welted shoe is superior to a machine-made one. For those, who do not know what we are talking about, here is a drawing how the holdfast is carved out of an insole:



And here is a hand-welted insole by one of the top English "˜makers':



But I have seen plenty of badly made insoles: big, big stitches (quicker) and not tightly pulled thread. Just 'handmade' is not automatically a sign of quality, it has to be well made. (I don't want to post any negative samples. I can find plenty).

I do not share your preference of Blake Rapid, as I find that row of stitching going along the insole rather irritating. (Maybe I was a Princess in a previous life and had a pea in my bed).

It's no good, throwing out the baby with the bathwater, unless one can make practical suggestions how the processes of producing items in quantity can be improved. It will need experience within a particular industry to become a production manager. An artisan maker will not do. Practical experience comes from working on the shop floor, be it shoe-, garment- or candle making. (I suppose a hand-dipped candle is superior to a factory-made one, but it leaves me, as someone who is rather indifferent about candles, totally uninvolved.)

I'm afraid, Blake ('dark Satanic mills"˜) and William Morris are dead.

Vass and Saint Crispin's for the RTW win.


- B

Meh. There are advantages to buying shoes one can actually try on somewhere. Too many groupthink sheep around here forget the importance of that.

Also, Dimitri Gomez pwns all your MTO Vass/Crispin bases.

I don't think this is entirely fair; every welted shoe I've ever seen made has SOME sort of filling in the shoe, because the welt and the upper are higher than the insole, creating a space between the insole and the outsole. So, while some bespoke makers use other filling materials -- leather or tarred felt -- they all need something to fill the gap. Thus, to me, this is not an issue of gemming vs. a leather holdfast, but rather a materials decision made by the maker. I think all factories use cork, since a cork 'paste' is fast and easy to apply; although, in this regard, it validates DW's view of economics perhaps trumping quality. FWIW, I have seen bespoke makers using cork as well.

With respect to gemming, DW, how often have you seen the gemming/insole interface fail? I know this topic has been of some contention elsewhere, and others claim the gemming/insole interface is very stable. Of the RTW makers I'm familiar with, only JM Weston uses the old-fashioned cut-and-folded goodyear welting process, while a few others (Lattanzi, Kiton, Vass and, I assume St. Crispin,) use a traditional hand-cut feather/holdfast. Perhaps a few of the high-end Italians (Mantellassi, Santoni, Ferragamo Tramezza) may use one or the other as well on their highest grade products. I am personally less ready to damn gemming, and I think it has a decent track record in goodyear welted shoewear, but I am not a shoe repair expert and can't vouch for its durability.

As always, thank you so much, DW and Bengalstripe.

Here's a video that demonstrates the hand-carved holdfast technique. Courtesy of MarcellHUN

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Here is the right link ...

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