Handmade Shoes For Men [1999 First English Edition]

This book takes an expert look into the workshops of internationally renowned shoemakers. the many detailed photographs in this book reveal the closely-guarded secrets and tricks of the trade that come between the taking of measurements and the completion fo the shoe. what is it that determines the size of the foot? How is a piece of beechwood turned into a custom-made last? What is the treatment that turns raw leather into the upper of the shoe? why is the welt the soul of the shoe? From the lastmaker to the tanner, the closer, and the shoemaker himself - many hands help to make every custom-made show a masterpiece. This book is for those with a sense of both fashion and tradition, for those who love shoes. It is also a worthy introduction, for both the professional and the layman, to the wealth of tradition that is waiting to be discovered in the shoemaker's workshop.