Bill Bird Bespoke Orthopedic Shoemaking Series

YouTube video series by Bill Bird showing and explaining the process of bespoke orthopedic making from measurement through lastmaking and shoemaking

1. Principles of Measuring a Foot for a Bespoke Orthopedic Last

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQr82L-1X7s

more complicated that straight bespoke
“last draft”
all the information to make a last
as much about feeling the foot
- where joints are
- where does it bend
- where are firm and soft tissues
- how flexible it is
3D scanners measure surface of skin or sock, not what’s underneath
he’s measuring a plastic anatomical model
start standing
tracing
- pen 7mm diameter
- 3½mm out
- holding 90°
- presses into the side, so evens out difference between soft and firm structures
- ==pressing as hard as wants the shoe to put pressure on the foot==
length measure
- stick to measure
have client sit
- arch comes back up
- foot relaxes
- measure length again, usually shorter
while sitting, 45° tracing of arch
45° is perpendicular to the axis
tape measures for bone structures
not recording the shapes, but predicting them from the draft
ball girth
- capsule of medial joint
- capture the roundness of joint capsule
- around fifth toe joint, by feel, right through center
- open up the tape and mark lines on the tracing both sides of the tape
- tension matters, changes measurements, determines how much pressure shoe puts on foot
- writes measurement between lines tracing sides of tape on the medial side
shows a completed draft
shows last made to the draft

2. The Soft Tissue Structures and Bones of the Foot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGaazVtzNYs

what measuring?
feel through soft tissues to bones

first to fifth ball joint
- MPJs
behind-the-joint
- fifth toe joint
- just behind first toe joint, in soft tissues
- immediately behind spherical bulb
- importance: defines the “going on” of the shoe
- e.g. for slip-on shoe
- where the tab ends, even for lace-up shoe
- balance between being able to get in and have the shoe hold the foot
instep
- highest point of instep
- tarsus square bones
- shock absorption of the foot, supination and pronation
- “crank” of high-heeled last here
- wrap around in front of base of fifth metatarsal to second cuneiform bone
- can feel second cuneiform bone by feeling and pressing down
- jargon: “measure to the bone” (means this bone)
top of instep
- back/proximal side of bending group of bones
- into notch of digiti minimi
- up to where foot meet shin, into the notch
- top of the facings (lace panels) can’t go higher than this
long heel
- put tape zero on second cuneiform
- wrap around bulb of heel
- cross over in a V
- locates the point during lastmaking so know where instep girth measurement was
short heel
- top of instep
- around heel bulb
- important for boots
- the “choke” or “going-on” [Western: “the pass”]

length measures
- size stick
- standing in stocking
- just touch the toe
- records in mm
- seated, too
- shows change in arch
- foot gets shorter
could make right up to 4” heels from same draft, knowing how joints flex
when you’re good at measurement, it gives the client confidence

3. Measuring a Client’s Feet for Bespoke Orthopedic Shoes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lgfiPoqyIQ

Draft to Last

4. The Heel Section

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qoc2yN7FGDY

Review of Foot Draft

all you need to make lasts for any kind of shoe, regardless of heel height
2D to 3D process
“tool for making a shoe on”

Lastmaking

start with a stock last slightly larger
prefer reducing wood to building up so building on wood
carve rough lasts from wood blocks for exceptional feet, e.g. size 15 with straight inside line

The Joint

start at joint and work back
“the foot will always gravitate toward that joint”
demo: thermoplastic shell around medial side of finished last
downhill ramp from heel to ball
lowest point called “the tread”
ball of plastic model foot
“will go down until it nestles into that thread, into that low point”, even if it creates gap at heel, crushes the toes
“the joint of the foot will automatically find the corresponding part of the shoe”
marked the joint on the tracing when marking the position of the tape for ball girth
carve with sandpaper and sanding machines
used to be done all by hand
remember: tracing half a pen width wider than foot, 3½mm out
want tracing of the last to match tracing of the foot with the same pen

The Clip

want the shoe to clasp the foot at the heel so that the foot can’t escape
called “the clip”
common fitting problem: forefoot and arch feels great, but foot slips out when walking
wedge over the bulb of the heel
Achilles tendon narrow there
don’t want to squeeze the heel so much that the foot pushes back, pushes the quarters out, causing topline gaps
starting out, Bill would see the gap at the topline, take away material there to make it narrower, but the gap would still be there because the foot was pushing the material out from underneath
“not too big, not too small”

The Arch

9:50

on draft: traced 90° and 45°
distance between tracing lines shows height of the arch at that point
don’t want to fully support the foot
foot has bounce to it
if fully supported, will feel cossetted, disabled
“a bit of bounce”
makes last so 45° tracing of arch falls about 4mm outside the 45° tracing of the foot on the draft
foot gives a bit of shock absorption before it hits the arch support of the shoe
called “rectification”
“rectify the arch”
from joint through waist tarsus rigid, strong
from joint forward, very flexible, can be squished
“The way shop shoes work is they give you more room than you need here [around the heel] and less room than you need here [around the ball] so the toes get squished. That holds the foot into the heel.”
bunions, hammertoes, damage to toes
a method of getting shoe to fit 65-70% of people with a foot that long
“What we’re going to do is hold the foot firmly here [over the instep] and give room for all these toes so they don’t end up looking like this model.”

5. The Toe Section

“all large animals…have hooves”
“a mouse has toes”
“human beings…only got two legs…only species that has both”
we land and stand on a hoof (tarsus)
we flex our toes and balance and take off with claws
hoof at the back, claws at the front
“we like to call the toes and paint them pretty”
toes must have room to move
flexibility and sensitivity to the ground
experiment:
- heel on stair step with toes over, touch the handrail, take other foot off the ground, close eyes, try to balance on heel alone
- face the other way, heel off and toes on, easier to balance
flat surface under ball versus very contoured waist
“West-end London” toe and last shape
- Lobb’s
- Foster’s
- New & Lingwood
longer than the foot
- general for Men’s: 3 sizes or 25mm longer than foot
- ladies’ or women’s: 2 sizes (16mm) longer than foot
4:53 traces last made to fit over draft and compares
- conforms with medial joint
- cuts across the front of the big toe very slightly
  - can do that without damage
  - “gives you enormous scope for elegance”
- just skimmed the fifth toe
  - can’t press on it
- pulled in a bit on the joint of the fifth toe
  - pulls the toe
  - makes the foot feel secure
  - helps about pinching the toe
- empty space in front about an inch longer than foot
  - air
  - toes can move
  - creates elegant shape
  - last designer has freedom here
  - e.g. trainer: round and only slightly longer than foot
  - e.g. slip-on moccasin without toe puff: flat recede
  - e.g. fell boot for climbing: thick and bulky
  - e.g. chisel style, sharp recede, square sides
  - has wood cutouts of different toe shapes
  - all could be on the last without changing the fitting
  - style, culture, society they keep
9:36 profile
- trace the last laying on its side
- akin to a silhouette
- toe shape = outline + profile
“the recede” the whole 3D shape
highest over big toe
difference between elegant last and ugly, bumpy thing
difference of millimeters
spend lots of time with little bits of sandpaper
customers come back if the shoes look elegant

6. Girth Measurements

now between the joint and heel
six girth measures on draft
long heel
- bulb of heel round
- seat of last has ridge for featherline
- makes it slightly larger than the round heel of the foot
- last 2-3mm larger than foot
- e.g. foot was 348mm, make the last 351mm
- locate the second cuneiform bone on the last via the measurement
short heel
- e.g. 321mm → 324mm
- shows top of the instep
- for boot last, would put an addition at top of the instep of the last
- facing mustn’t go higher than where the ankle begins
mark the joint on the last
mark the measure points on the last
“the crank” where the last curves
it’s where the foot is bending
doesn’t mark medial measure points, since already marked the bones on the instep from the lateral measures
get the last measures the same as the draft
tension put on the foot is tension from the shoe when made
behind the joint
- 228mm measured
- gave it 1 extra mm at 229mm
- if too small here, shoe will slide down, throw a crease over the ball
third measure
- 229mm matching exactly
- remember sock lining will take room
- will spread the facings slightly
fourth measure
- top of instep
- perineal muscle notch
- 246mm
- likes it slightly large here [implied: another 1mm]
- otherwise facings gape
- if too small, could add shover on top
- oak-bark tanned leather skived and cemented on
- like to avoid fittings
now complete last
needs to slip into two parts
style: c. France 1890
foot can flex, but last can’t

7. Creating a Profile and Outline from a Draft

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-qWwif1GzA

Outline

make an outline that has a toe shape
without space, square Scandinavian shoe like a Wallabee
“in the west—in our part of the west—we like to have a nice, rounded toe shape”
usually 2-3 sizes longer than foot
crosses over tracing of big toe slightly
don’t contain the fifth toe (painful)
can contain the foot just behind the joint on the lateral side
cut out the outline, mark where the measurements were taken
outline is flat on the ground
for heel, outline climbs up a ramp
making 1″ heel shoe
back of ball of foot hits the ground in a wavy pattern

Profile

plan and section : architecture :: outline and profile : shoemaking
subtract the thickness of the sole in calculating pitch
pitch = heel height - thickness of sole
pitch of last different from heel height
bottom of the foot heel actually is round
orthopedic, don’t have flat bottoms
last heel bottom curved
using 8mm spring
marks where the longest toe ends
standard last length
back profile
- shoe 1/5 of SLL e.g. 1/5 of 27.5 about 5.5
- parallel line 6mm in
- create a curve within the box
- 10mm of last to stick up above the shoe
7:57 short heel and long heel in reverse
- loop tape at short heel measure
- curve it like it was going around heel
- lays curve on profile with fingers
- uses like compass to draw curve intersecting the eventual instep line
- curve of all possible positions of the top of the instep
- same for long heel measure
corresponding measures
- top of instep for short heel
- makes a loop for bottom of arch
- make another arc
- find the intersection
- draws line on outline 2mm out from it for error and expecting the wood to be sanded down
- same for instep measure (corresponds to long heel)
- gives 2mm again
- want 10mm of cone sticking out
- using experience and judgment, draw curve down to toe, topline back to back height
using local ash block
will cut out outline on horizontal, profile on vertical

Last Carving

8. The Wood and the Bandsaw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mySvDH_3mQ

use outline and profile to carve

Wood

locally grown ash
called “a spoke”
- spoke: section of log
- bark bottom
- radiate like spokes of a wheel
- very economical
- shrinkage less along bark than radially
“ash is OK”
softer summer versus hard winter growth
beech, maple, hornbeam better
- very smooth
- consistent carving in all directions
bad
- pine
- softwoods
- break up
- lasting rivets can split them
- oak
  - full of tannin, dyes shoe blue
  - big summer-winter difference
- lime OK, but soft, easy to destroy

Carving

on bandsaw
before bandsaw
- used manual bow saw, hatchet
- quite efficient when the power cuts out
- rasp
- did this as Tom Steinhoven’s apprentice at Lobb’s
bandsaw much quicker
modern: turning lathes, C2C
disclaimer
- not an instructional video!
- too many pitfalls, too many dangers
- need competent guidance
sharp bandsaw safer
principle: keep three points on the table at any time for safety
tops table with wood to smooth out, nothing catches
dust extractor
prescription goggles, ear defenders
“Don’t do this unless you have very professional supervision of experienced people.

9. Carving the Last Outline and Profile on a Bandsaw

Outline

problem: no wood over toe
blade will pull down
cut from joint to joint where flat from below, then cut the toe from above
toe
- first cuts to length, approaching a slice at a time
- then follows the curve
- little bit by bit
- approach the lines slowly
- “a lot easier than it looks”

Profile

redraw the profile
- bending the profile around makes it too short
- have to look down and project it
fill wood flaws with car body filler
[How is he keeping the profile perpendicular? Isn’t the side he’s resting on curved now?]
[Seems he has enough points to rest on.]
“a kind of Picasso, cubist last”
all the corners still on
carve away on the bandsaw
then to standing machines to do the rest
old days: rasp

10. Detail on Bandsaw

center axis down second toe and middle of cone
more volume on lateral than medial side
draw line on rough last, should still be there when done
foot-shaped, crooked, not symmetrical
more scoop to hold the shoe on
foot very narrow under ankle bones and Achilles tendon
freehand bandsaw cutting
the “range” (flat surface in front) needs rounded edges (“crown”)
brushes off waste with right hand as he goes
rounds out heel shape, but looking straight from the back
“I’m not carving a last as sculpture, carving the inside of the shoe”
“I’m not thinking about the last, I’m thinking about the shoe”
scoop from lateral heel over waist down over toes
blade never more than a couple mm into wood
using the blade like a rasp or carving machine
skimming the wood
make sure wood will break away more than be grabbed
move the wood through in smooth, flowing shapes
only take off 1-2mm at a time
effortless
mistake people make: going too deep in one cut
skim in over and over

11 Using a Rasp to Smooth Contours

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F7O28He15U

Tom Steinhoven: don’t work in a vice, but in hand
real feel for the shape
artistic carving
heel pressed into stomach
rasp “starts to put line in”
rasping and sanding by hand gives more dynamic, beautiful shape
made more accurate than any stock last
check the measures
mark the positions where measurements were taken on the last
joint measure: 4mm over
behind joint: 4mm over
instep: 4mm over
top: 15mm over
“we’re really, really close there”
rasp works, sanding machine just faster
not hiding any secrets with the rasp, but it’s not easy

12. Sanding

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYpXg6aAbtg

finishing machine
3” belts
8” and 4” diameter wheels
can DIY glue sandpaper to disc
friend Dave had the machine made
really good extractor
well guarded
“nice and slow”
24-grit
first: good bottom profile
- solid piece of plywood coated in pink chalk that shows up well on the wood lasts
- 20mm pitch block
work plan:
- work bottom until “tread” (where crown touches the ground)
- “break point” where curve starts to come up toward heel
- “range” where featherline coherently curves around front of toe
- heel seat
- for square heel men’s shoe: heel lays flat, not pitched forward
first works on moving the tread back toward the joint
sands, then checks on board with pitch block
next works the heel seat
- “D-shaped curve”
- seen from the back, a straight line
- seen from the side, a straight line
- “otherwise the shoe will look awful”
- “crown” the convex curve of the forepart
then works break point or curve and arch
- feels the shape of a plaster cast arch, then feels the shape of the last to compare
- don’t want to completely replicate
- wants to rectify
- use thumb and forefinger as dividers between ball of heel and ball of joint
- “very much a feeling game”
- sometimes washing dishes, looks clean, but can feel sticky food
- spatial awareness by feel far more sensitive than vision
- want slight curve on waist for elegance more than fit
- makes the waist look narrow and shaped
upper part
- “line” gives a last elegance
- on foot
  - medial: up the arch, then down the bones
  - lateral: all the bones very low
- up to the navicular, then down to the calcaneum
- has to flow or will look wrong
- medial line
  - “make a really nice feature of it”
- back shape
  - easier to bind foot with lacing, strap, etc.
  - bulb of the heel / calcaneus
  - laced back so bulb can’t get over the clip of the Achilles
  - rubs pads of thumbs into the scoops of the clip from the top
- scoop or sweep
  - parabola at back
  - parabola over forepart
  - gives flow to the last
  - focuses on it hand sanding
  - Salvatore Ferragamo V&A exhibition:
    - had some of his lasts
    - he pushed down really flat on the outside lateral ahead of base of fifth metatarsal
  - “very few of my clients do have elegant feet”
- work on toe shape
  - highest volume over distal end of big toe
  - more straightness on both sides of the toe for style
- can now put steel rivets and car body filled into flaw in wood on the toe
- heel feather edge sharp corner, so add allowance
- checking heel measurements against last
- checking joint measurement
- to bring up, add leather patch (shoulder leather)
- checks instep measurements
- his pitch block is scooped at the top, not flat
recommends finishing with hand sanding
can get very close in
hand sanding can flow in lines following those of the last
could go up to 80 grit on the machine
hand sanding takes the bumps off
just has sandpaper under two fingers
“bark-bottom last” puts rings parallel to the bottom
don’t usually finish with wax, since can come off shoe, still sketch on it during patternmaking
can show the client drawings, sand it off

Old, Loose Notes

Measurements

tracings
- standing foot at 90°
- seated arch at 45°
lengths with size stick
- standing foot length
- seated foot length
girths and tape positions
- ball girth joint to joint
- just behind medial joint
- arch to cuneiform bone
- instep to crook of ankle
girths
- short heel to crook of ankle
- long heel to cuneiform bone

Rectification of the Arch

Watch from here.
Arch shape of the last is a bit wider than the tracing of the arch.
Arch is traced with pencil at 45°, perpendicular to the axis of the foot.
Don’t want to fully support the foot.
Foot is a bit flexible, will bounce as it’s loaded and unloaded.
If fully supported, the wearer will feel cossetted.
Allow a bit of bounce.
Gives 4mm allowance out from the arch tracing.
Gives a little shock absorption before hitting arch support.

Recede

The “recede” is the sloping of the toe shape of the last toward the tip of the toe box.

Toe Shape

video: The Toe Section
A good looking design is millimeters of difference.
If it’s just good enough, they’ll pay but not come back.
If it looks great, they’ll come back.

Girth Measurements

checking against last
- short heel: add 2–3mm to account for the non-round featherline
- long heel: same
locate cuneiform bone via long heel
locate instep via short heel
mark joints on last
“shover” name for volume of leather added to build up last
“slipping the last” in two pieces
foot can flex, but last can’t

Draft to Last

from 3D to 2D back to 3D
outline with toe shape
extends usually 2 to 3 sizes longer than foot
bring in big toe slightly
don’t contain the fifth toe (causes pain)
can bring in slightly behind fifth toe joint
make cutout of bottom paper (“outline”)
example: 26 mm/1 inch heel
create “profile”
subtract thickness of the sole
“pitch” of the heel
heel height less thickness of sole
pitch does not equal heel height
bespoke orthopedic: no flat heel bottoms, always rounded
curve to heel
align ball joints of outline and profile
used 8 mm spring
standard last length
back profile
- shoe is 1/5 of standard last length
- parallel line 6mm in creating a box
- draw curve within the box
- add 10 mm above the shoe so the last sticks above the shoe
short heel, long heel measurements
- measure out with tape into a loop
- wrap the loop around the curve of the heel of the outline
- move that curve over the profile, back at the heel
- run a pencil in the far part of the loop to mark a curve with all possible points where top of instep or cuneiform could fall
- same for long heel
two other girth measures go to same points: top of instep and cuneiform
triangulate top of instep and cuneiform
give a few mm of extra so can sand down
10mm of cone sticking up out of shoe