Shoemaking

I took a shoemaking course to understand footwear design from the ground up. I designed and constructed each shoe from start to finish, including patternmaking, cutting, stitching, lasting, and sole construction. The work helped me understand how early design decisions affect every stage of construction and fabrication.

Mule

For my first pair, I kept the upper simple and concentrated on the design of the heel. A hand-rolled aluminum plate is attached with exposed screws and threaded inserts.

Boots

For the second pair, I designed a boot on a Munson last. The upper is based on traditional derby boot patterning with a lowered, extended quarter line. I used speed-lace D-rings so the boots could be put on and removed quickly, and a Dr. Sole rubber outsole.

Process

Building both pairs by hand gave me a much clearer understanding of how design decisions, in footwear and more generally, cascade through the manufacturing process. The choice of last affects the pattern; the pattern affects seam allowances and material behavior; and those decisions ultimately determine how the shoe can be lasted, assembled, and repaired.