Shoegazing Podcast Episode 3

Notes

wasn’t looking to leave Stockholm
no shoemaking around that interested him
dream of making bespoke shoes around Stockholm not realistic
did contact a crafts organization
- friend leatherworker got in touch
- wrote a letter
- interview or consultation
- “there is nothing for you”
e-mailed every shoemaking company in the world
got almost no answers, or very short answers
got one back from Dean Girling
spent extra day in London
- went to Cleverley, Lobb, Foster’s, for quick chats
- none of them interested
- quite willing to work for free for a while
- not highly profitable, so can’t throw money around on apprentices
met Dean in Norwich
- workshop there
- just starting own factory then
- offered to come there and learn from Dean
- Dean realized he wouldn’t have time
- go to Kettering where Tony Gaziano and the factory were
- Dean was mostly running the business
great introduction
in factory, can do simple, independent tasks
build knowledge step by step
bespoke was outworker-based
but could see bespoke shoes in different stages
educate your eye based on examples
some of the outworkers were greats

just kept making shoes
helps to be around good shoes
you can learn to make them independently, in another country
but it helps
Internet shrinking the world
can educate eye
tons of visual reference, at least for end results
but hard when struggling, without advice
advice more valuable late in career
once you know the steps, do it a lot
progress fast in the beginning
can improve rapidly at the beginning
put in the hours
hit some kind of wall
that’s when you need advice
doesn’t have to come from a more advanced maker, can fill in each other’s blanks
G&G gave a lot of freedom
was able to travel and see clients relatively early in career
Tony was focusing more on factory, design, retailers, so had less time for bespoke
steep learning curve
“it’s a lot easier to learn when you have to”
given many problems to solve
necessity
was a prestigious firm
reputation for more modern design
“a lot to live up to”
“had to outperform my skill level”

lots of travel, to London as well as trunk show
go to work around 0830, leave about 1730 or 1800, start shift at home workshop around 1900 or 2000 going to midnight
weekends get up late, but finish late
“all shoes all the time”
for the last seven years
outworker bottom maker for G&G
also trains apprentices
lastmaker-pattern cutter manages production of shoes
when just one or two people, less management
still makes all the lasts for the majority of clients
has more of a dedicated pattern cutter now
has a few in-house makers
apprentices help with small tasks and test shoes

very hard part of the job
tend to come to them
e-mails
send pictures of their work
visit the workshop, even if can’t offer a spot at the time
if have more experience, such as a year working or longer period at school, bring in something they’ve made, give critique
with less experience, do they love shoes or love making shoes?
many want to design and make shoes for themselves to wear
years making bad shoes to get to the level
not a well paying job
“if you only do the making to get to the end, you’re not going to have a good time”
still loves it, but not necessarily at 3 am pushing to a deadline
“the tricky part is knowing whether they want to do it enough”
need to do 25 to 50 pairs to know if you’re good and you like it
40-50 hours per pair means a lot of time
can take years in free time
has made roughly 500 pairs so far, first 100 definitely the worst
three years to get there if you work full time
“if you consider it a sacrifice, you shouldn’t really do it in the first place”
“Who do you want to be?”
everyone good puts in hours that would make 9-to-fivers shake in fear

find the place that does the shoemaking you would like to do
learning language at the same time very hard
teacher will already be annoyed by you as an apprentice
saved up to save for a year without paying work
having taken a week course, your value to bespoke maker is less than zero
apprentice can pay to be there in the beginning
many spend six months or a year and realize it’s not for them
their experience is lots of turnover
- don’t like living there
- don’t like the pay
big frustration for firms
unrealistic expectations
e.g. goal income for standard of living
everybody gets older, family, house
“Do you love shoes, or do you love shoemaking?”
do you like everything around it?
do you like knife sharpening?
all good shoemakers love tools
get your tools together first, then come back
“go and spend money on those first”
“Do we keep bumping into this person?” e.g. at events
“shoe community”, pub nights, trunk shows
show interest over the long run