Shoegazing Podcast Episode 37

Notes

patternmaking and design at 3-month program in Milan
worked at the NBA
wanted to be a sneaker designer
read Handmade Shoes for Men
carréducker training
2 months with Marcell Mrsan in Budapest
then alone for a while
Hiro Yanagimachi
Yohei Fukuda
milan more for industrial ready to wear, don’t really use anymore
still uses carréducker bottoming fundamentals
learned quality from Hiro
lived in Germany, but had only a month’s apprenticeship, learned nothing, so left
Hiro trained eye
trained with Yohei’s bottomer
Hiro just a tiny bit different from English methods
Yohei reintroduced to classic English style of making
very accurate, finessed
never did traditional apprenticeship
wanted to, but no opportunity
bothered them all the time in first years of business

at beginning, did everything
major parts
- lastmaking
- pattern/uppermaking
- bottom making
did all for about five years
found pattern/upper maker
“my eyes are doing a lot of the work”
even if not cutting so much
he does lastmaking
two uppermaker outworkers
bottoming: have three people
- he does some
- one guy does all MTO and MTM, now some bespoke
- one guy helps with bespoke
- all making happens in workshop
MTO/MTM are 90% handmade
- 10% is outsole stitching
- take to craftsman who uses machine
- they build the heel, finish
- eyeing Saint Crispin’s hand-crank machine, but peg waist since machine can’t get in there

pre-COVID: everything done in house, except machine outseaming
need to be there during process to check on things
“as a philosophy and for my nerves”
after COVID
- with family, some prefer to work at home
- train in house style, but then work outside workshop
- could live with it now
romantic image of do-it-all shoemaker
do want roles split up, for specialization
he did patternmaking one day a week

didn’t understand question
guessing: making more shoes on MTO lasts, so less practice
after two or three years, stopped taking MTO and MTM, to focus on lastmaking skills
make very, very MTO with last just as-is
the more experience you have with bespoke, the less you steer people toward MTO

have test shoes on their own lasts
if house last fits really well, use as-is — MTO
fits, but pinky toe hitting, need more arch support, need more or less volume — MTM
no trial fittings for MTO or MTM
bespoke: personalized fit and design, last made just for foot
lots of options in between
e.g. want bespoke without trial fitting
have clients who order both bespoke and MTO or MTM
roughly half bespoke, MTM more than MTO
have MTM that will take 2 days, bespoke that take 6 hours

if likes someone else’s shoes better, not making the right shoes
“My favorite shoemaker is me!”
“the longer you do shoemaking, the better you get at the details, but the less you actually care about the details”
responds to what they are saying with the shoes
would order chukka boots from Hiro
from Yohei, brogues
Templeman, apron-front derby
Marquess, round toe from Shoji
“have a voice”