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How Shoes Are Made: Step by Step

POSTED ON MAY 12, 2019 BY EVE MADELAINE

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How Does a Factory Make Shoes?

Step 1: The Design Team
Step 2: The Shoe Last Department
Step 3: Stamping and Sewing
Step 4: Assembling the Shoe
Types of Shoe Construction
Goodyear Welt v. the Blake Method
Step 5: Step Insoles and Decoration
Step 6: The Shoe Room

How Shoes Are Made: Step By Step

Back in the golden age of handmade footwear the shoemaker bore responsibility for the
shoemaking process from start to nish. Now it can feel like fast fashion reigns supreme but
plenty of love still goes into creating handmade shoes. Now, unlike the original cobblers, high
quality shoes are made using a nesting manufacturing process. So if your question is ‘how does
a factory make shoes?’ this is what we’re taking a closer look at. In nesting manufacturing a
factory’s various departments each performs di erent stages of the production process. When a
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are forwarded to

And unlike throwaway fashion footwear bespoke shoes undergo a surprisingly high number of
di erent stages before they’re ready to be worn. Not every manufacturer is the same and the
number of steps involved depends on the production methods they use. Looking for a ballpark
gure? Let’s just say a shoe may be created in 70 steps – or it may take 390!

How Does a Factory Make Shoes?

If that number has your head spinning, you’d probably like to know exactly how shoes are made.
Well don’t worry because we won’t go through those 390 steps, or even 70! We’ll just give you a
comprehensive look behind the scenes at the shoemaking process.

Step 1: The Design Team

Di erent departments are responsible for di erent aspects

of the shoes manufacturing process. If you’re starting your own private label you’ll need
assistance from prototype through to the nished product. And rst up is the design department.
These are the guys with the creative vision. The people who know what makes a shoe look good
AND perform well. The client provides initial sketches and the in-house designers re ne them to
ensure they’re technically correct for the shoemaking process. Some footwear designers prefer
to draw by hand, others use a computer. But each nished design will depict the shoe from
multiple angles.

Step 2: The Shoe Last Department

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Before a shoe can go into production it needs a last. This is the physical basis on how your
shoes are made. A shoe last is a mould that emulates a foot to give the shoe its shape.
Traditionally these were carved from wood but now plastic and metal are also used. Every left
and right shoe needs a last so its shape and size can be determined. But a last is no vaguely
foot-shaped lump of wood and there are a number of things to take into account when creating
one. That includes how a foot rolls when one walks and how this will a ect factors such as heel
height. Later in the shoemaking process the last is placed inside the shoe so it can be modelled
around it. It’s used again once the shoe is almost nished to make sure the end t matches the
original design.

Step 3: Stamping and Sewing

Partly due to the sheer number of pieces used to make one shoe, constructing footwear is a
true craft. The pieces needed to make the shoe are cut from high quality leather then next in
the shoes manufacturing process comes stamping. Now the shoe is referred to as a shaft and
the pieces of leather that make it are stamped – or marked. This is to avoid confusion when
they’re sewn together. Once the pieces have been stamped they’re marked to indicate where
eyelets need to be punched. If the shoe is to have perforated accents – such as a brogue –
these are marked too. As are the points of the leather that will be stitched together to make a
seam. The parts of the leather to be stitched are then thinned before the shaft is sent to the
sewing department.

Step 4: Assembling the Shoe

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The shoe is stitched and then sent to the die assembly

department. No prizes for guessing that this means assembling the shoes – this is the very
foundation of how your shoes are made. If the footwear is a classic Derby or an Oxford, a
technique called Goodyear welting may be used.

Types of Shoe Construction

Goodyear welting is an intricate shoemaking process dating back to 1872. Using three nails, the
rst step is to temporarily attach the insole below the shoe last. Then a rubber ridge is xed to
the insole – this makes stitching the shaft to the Goodyear welt easier later. The shaft is laced
and tted over the last. It’s then attached to the insole using hot glue and nails. The next step
can take anything from 30 minutes to a fortnight. This is while the shaft and last are set aside
to ensure the leather awlessly assumes the last’s shape.

The shoe is in perfect shape! It’s time to stitch an approximately 3mm wide piece of leather – a
welt – to the insole and the lining. The welt is stitched into place using a Goodyear stitching
machine. This takes precision to ensure the welt is as close as possible to the shaft and the
rubber ridge. 

The beauty of the Goodyear stitch is that because it’s on the inside of the shoe it’s completely
invisible. Shoes using this technique generally don’t have a welt running all the way around the
insole, omitting the heel section. Instead the shaft and insole are nailed together and a heel-
shaped piece of leather, called piping, will fuse the two. When the piping has been nailed to the
insole small brass pins ensure it remains at one with the shaft. Now it’s time to remove the last
which has been with us every step of the journey. A shank is tted into the shoe between the
heel and front, providing support before the shoes manufacturing process continues.

Goodyear Welt v. the Blake Method

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It should be pointed out that not all men’s shoes use the Goodyear welt. Another popular choice
for manufacturers of bespoke shoes is the Blake method. Generally the Goodyear welt is more
commonly used in British-made shoes. Particularly those crafted in Northampton, the UK’s
traditional shoemaking town. The Blake method meanwhile is favoured in mainland Europe,
especially in Italy. But what are the di erences between the two?

Blake construction is slightly older than the Goodyear welt, dating back to 1856. Stitching
cannot be done by hand and is performed using a Langhorn sewing machine. The shoemaker
sews each layer of the shoe – the shaft bottom, the insole and the outsole – without welts.
 Those who favour the Blake will tell you their shoes are less rigid and more comfortable to
wear. The Goodyear, however, is hardier and better in wet weather. (An important consideration
in the UK!)

A Blake shoe has no external stitches and is normally closer cut than a Goodyear one. The
upper and outsole form a tighter bond, again giving that feeling of exibility. This is accentuated
by the fact that the Blake shoe manufacturing process uses less layers. Goodyear welt shoes
have more layers providing that more durable construction that serves style conscious men in
damp climates better! However if wet weather is not an issue, how your shoes are made will be
of less importance. Providing they’re stylish, well made and help you, or your customers, stand
out from the crowd!

Step 5: Step Insoles and Decoration

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If you’re starting your own shoe line, you’ll be pleased to know your shoe is taking shape rather
nicely. But it’s still not looking particularly stylish and its inner is still on the rough and ready
side. To address this a ller layer is added. To ensure comfort and movement the ller must be
exible so cork is normally used. This will even out the foundation for the insole which will be
glued, and then securely stitched, to the welt.

As you’ve probably gathered, how shoes are made is no mean feat of craftsmanship! But our
shoemaking process isn’t nished just yet. Now the pins that were placed in the heel will be
removed and the holes they’ve left in the leather sealed. Any ornamental perforation is taken
care of at this stage. Or if the nish of the shoe is smooth, seam holes are carefully hidden
through a procedure of ironing, dyeing and polishing. Next, the edge of the heel and its outsole
are abraded and the visible part of the welt is decorated. The double seam is compacted next
and the heel and tips of the sole are dyed. Last but not least, a half-insole with the brand’s logo
is inserted and the shoe is carefully cleaned.

Step 6: The Shoe Room

You know nearly everything when it comes to learning how to get shoes made. And we’re nearing
the end of our journey. Last stop: theBOOK
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room. This might0sound like a dream come true for
footwear a cionados. But rather than being a walk-in closet full of brogues and boots, this is
where shoes go for one nal loving caress. This is the nishing department where bespoke
shoes receive the nishing touches that set them apart from their cheaper cousins. The shoes
are polished until gleaming and, if the style requires it, they are laced up.

Each and every shoe then undergoes a thorough nal quality check. Then they’re packaged and
shipped to the retailer, ready for a discerning customer – you!? – to purchase and wear with
pride.

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This entry was posted in Blog and tagged how shoes are made, process.

EVE MADELAINE

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