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Are "handmade" shoes handmade?

post #1 of 80
2/1/12 at 5:07pm
Thread Starter 

Are handmade shoes sewn every stich by hand or are they hand crafted/burnished.. So forth and stitched my machine? and how where shoes made in say 100-200 years ago, are any made that way now?

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post #2 of 80
2/1/12 at 5:45pm
Instead of posting something snarky, or feeding you probable misinformation, I'll instead ask that you do a search for a member on the Forvm called "DFWII". Please don't PM him, as he is no doubt extremely sick of answering the same questions over and over again, but read through his posts. He is one of the few members on this board that makes shoes, and if you take the time to read through his posts you will gain a thorough understanding of shoe construction.

I'll also refer you to the Honourable COrdwainer's Company, where you will find more than enough resources to answer your questions.

http://www.thehcc.org/

Hope this helps.
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post #3 of 80
2/1/12 at 8:01pm
Are hand jobs really jobs? confused.gif
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post #4 of 80
2/1/12 at 8:35pm
Can the fly on a pair of pants really fly?
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post #5 of 80
2/1/12 at 9:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Moo View Post

Are hand jobs really jobs? confused.gif

No, they are tasks.
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post #6 of 80
2/2/12 at 6:22am
Lobbs look pretty handmade...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2010/mar/09/john-lobb-shoes-london
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post #7 of 80
2/2/12 at 6:26am
The most "handmade" shoes you can commonly buy are entirely handmade apart from the stitching on the upper. These will be described as bespoke shoes, or custom shoes, or handsewn shoes.
They are made to order and are individual to each customer.
It is possible to stitch a pair of uppers by hand, but it is very rarely done and looks 'agricultural'.
Almost any shoe you buy ready to wear will involve machines in a factory. The quality can vary hugely, from the best (Edward Green etc) to despicable shockers from the developing world.
Basically any shoe you buy which uses the word handmade is not going to be truly made by hand
To see examples of true handsewn shoemaking, see the following blog

http://carreducker.blogspot.com/search/label/construction%20methods
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post #8 of 80
2/2/12 at 6:58am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Moo View Post

Are hand jobs really jobs? confused.gif


 

For wives they are

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post #9 of 80
2/2/12 at 7:02am
Thread Starter 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Equus Leather View Post

Lobbs look pretty handmade...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2010/mar/09/john-lobb-shoes-london


 

Yea, and they will be in Philly near me next month for 1 day, now about the 5k to get some boots and trees , that's a different conversation 

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post #10 of 80
2/2/12 at 10:43am
Hey James!! Good to see you here.

I thought I would post a couple of photos I was given permission by the Northampton Shoe Museum to use for educational purposes...

These are known as the Attewell boot and were entirely handsewn in 1840 (1846...date of patent...Elias Howe invents the sewing machine), uppers and outsole.

The tops were Morocco calf, if I recall correctly and I don't know if I ever knew what the vamps were made of.

454

And the famous cloverleaf tongue

627
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post #11 of 80
2/2/12 at 11:03am
I might add that June Swann, Curator of the Shoe Collection at Northampton for many years, has catalogued and personally verified a number of pairs of boots both in the UK and in the US that were handsewn at incredible frequencies--up to 64 stitches per inch on both the upper and the welt.

Someday I am going to visit Scotland and Britain and I will make a point...a pilgrimage to Northampton and hope that I can cajole my way to a viewing of that work.

I envy you and Bengal Stripe and others with such easy access.
Edited by DWFII - 2/2/12 at 2:50pm
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post #12 of 80
2/2/12 at 11:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DWFII View Post

I might add that June Swann, Curator of the Shoe Collection at Northampton for many years, has catalogued and personally verified a number of pairs of boots both in the UK and in the US that were handsewn at incredible frequencies--up to 64 stitches per inch on both the upper and the welt.
Someday I am going to visit Scotland and Britain and I will make a point...a pilgrimage to Northampton and hope that I can cajole my way to a viewing of that work.
I envy you and Bengal Strip and others with such easy access.

Much as Spoo is finding with every manufacturer he uses, Not All that Glitters is Gold. Northampton has a nice museum, and a few factory outlets but little else. It is a largely grim post-industrial town. More than 6 hours there would send you running for greener pastures.
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post #13 of 80
2/2/12 at 11:25am
Well, I couldn't comment, not having been there.

But I do know that the Northampton Shoe Museum is highly-respected internationally and that June Swann is widely regarded as one of...if not the...foremost authority on shoe history in the world.
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post #14 of 80
2/2/12 at 11:37am
Thread Starter 

So What makes Edward Green so good? there not even hand made? is it that they get better material than say allen edmonds or alden? or the craftmanship is better..and john Lobb, for 3000-5000 dollars they should be stiching those babies by hand, every thread. on a side note i cant stand how cordoven looks after it gets creased, anyone feel the same?

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post #15 of 80
2/2/12 at 11:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nerkg View Post

So What makes Edward Green so good? there not even hand made? is it that they get better material than say allen edmonds or alden? or the craftmanship is better..and john Lobb, for 3000-5000 dollars they should be stiching those babies by hand, every thread. on a side note i cant stand how cordoven looks after it gets creased, anyone feel the same?

Edward Green sucks, stick to Bostonian.

If John Lobbs were stitched by hand they would look like your grandma made them and they would also cost $7000. If you want inferior construction at more expense, I'm sure you can hire someone to hand stitch $7000 shoes for you.

No one agrees with you on the cordovan creasing except for wright, iroh, and reevolving (good company).
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