Nicholas Templeman: A Bespoke Shoemaker

[Texasmade]

How about these. I can get some snaps of the lasts on their own, or some direct top shots of the shoes over the weekend if I don’t drink too many negrono View attachment 1577835 View attachment 1577836

Would look amazing as green suede gator skin

 

[ntempleman]

If you peel the outer leather off these... ?

 

[daizawaguy]

I have a question on the heel part of the shoe trees - I would imagine the last does not have such a elongated heel shape - and neither would the foot - though I maybe wrong - but was the elongated shape of the trees made to create a tension at the back, and would not this create a gap in the actual fit? Thanks for any comments...

 

[ntempleman]

Not sure if I follow what you mean entirely, but I think your talking about seeing more of the rear of the tree compared to a lace up? A shoe tree like the ones I provide are duplicated from the last, a casual shoe is lower cut at the front so the treemaker cuts the forepart of the tree lower to suit it. I guess this is making the back of the tree look “longer” compared to the trees you might expect to see

 

[daizawaguy]

Thank you Nicholas - actually it was whether the very back of the shoe tree was the same shape as the last specifically, in particular the elongated shape as viewed from above, or whether the tree maker tries to get some tension in the back?

 

[ntempleman]

Shoe trees are smaller than the last typically, otherwise you’ll never get the tree in the shoe without a big hammer. They have to be carefully made to fit each shoe individually, take a little off, try to fit, take a little more, try again etc etc. The tree maker never tries to adjust the fit of the shoe, if they did it would be a disaster.

still not sure what you mean by elongated heel shape though I’m afraid, just a pretty normal loafer as far as I’m concerned

 

[sargeinaz]

Those tassels are fantastic.

 

[willyto]

 

[Texasmade]

I'm picturing green suede gatorskin shoes for the first one.

 

[dauster]

do you have any pics of your client wearing the gators? they look cool but would love to seem in a whole outfit.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

 

[dieworkwear]

What a small world. I was admiring these boots




Then saw this person did some work with another bootmaker who apparently visited Nicholas. Seems like everyone in the bespoke shoe world knows each other.

 

[Texasmade]

Looks like they're at Texas Tradition Boots with Lee Miller. It wouldn't surprise me that he would pay a visit to Lee since he's a pretty big name in the bespoke cowboy boot making business who learned from the legend Charlie Dunn. If you want some bespoke boots from Texas Traditions, the wait time is like 4 or 5 years for new customers.

 

[dieworkwear]

Looks like they're at Texas Tradition Boots with Lee Miller. It wouldn't surprise me that he would pay a visit to Lee since he's a pretty big name in the bespoke cowboy boot making business who learned from the legend Charlie Dunn. If you want some bespoke boots from Texas Traditions, the wait time is like 4 or 5 years for new customers.

I think they're made by someone who apprenticed under Lee. The person who visited Nicholas also may have been a Lee apprentice, but I don't know for sure. They were mentioned in this post, which is how I found their account.

 

[ntempleman]

Haha, yeah Dana dropped by a few years ago, and Graham also about a year later. They’re both at Texas Traditions, I was planning on spending a couple of days in Austin back in the spring 2020 trip to TX but covid put an end to that. Graham’s a cool cat, we speak regularly.