YouTube video series by Joost De Cock showing the making of inside sewn Chelsea boots by hand

Overall

• Low side-zip ankle booties.
• Handsewn Blake-Rapid-like construction.
• Stiffeners stop at the featherline.
• Explained in very plain English.
• size 50 last from Hormas Aguilera

Tools and Materials

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht_3j4WXR9M

“Hardware Department

• will screw on heels
• nails for lasting
• metal thread for flower arranging

Shoe-Specific

• Thicker Waxed Thread
• Leather Glue
• White Paste for Stiffeners
• Awl for Sewing
• Stitching Groover
• Skiving Knife
• Cobbler Pliers (Lasting Pliers) (“absolutely need”)
• Lasts (Hormas Aguilera)

  • no way to make shoes without them

  • tricky to get them

  • not a well established hobby
  • he is size 52 and still found some

  • If I can find shoe lasts, then you can find shoe lasts.

  • he got alpha-hinge lasts

Materials

• rubber for half soles
  • about 4mm thick
  • bought from cobbler
• leathers
  • leather for outsole
  • leather for midsole and stiffeners
  • lining leather
  • upper leather two ways:
    1. undyed, veg tanned, almost white
       • can dye any color you want
       • often have to buy whole or half hides
    2. pre-dyed

3

• tape last
• 3 layers
• making a side-zipper ankle bootie
• trim featherline
• cut the pieces on the last

4

• transfer to paper
• toe and heel: slashes to flatten
• then add lasting allowance (1”)
• add 1cm for seams and zips
• cut the leather
• flip patterns for pair
• mark the flesh side
• check grain side for flaws

5

• gloves for dyeing
• makeup removal pads
• dye edges, too
• glue parts together
• lay on last, nail down to bottom
• replaced toe cap pattern to trace line
• will hit your finger
• tape to avoid gluing to last
• don’t tape to leather, every once in a while will damage
• mast with paper strips
• remove tacks to sew

6

• can sew anything by hand
• separate punching holes and passing thread
• overstitch wheel
• saddle stitch described in plain terms
• don’t stitch too dense
• linings

7

• same shapes
• same patterns, but extend around topline for folding
• good side facing in
• glue lining together

8

• [“good side” versus “bad side” about leather]
• glue upper and lining together
• can’t pin leather in place
• install zippers between upper and lining
• buy dividable zipper if possible

9

• mount upper
• nail at top of instep
• draft toe
• no insole mounted
• do in lap
• stiffeners: stiff veg tan
• no lasting allowance on stiffeners
• but slightly longer, so can trim
• skiving: taper like wedge
• “I hate skiving.”
• align cap with seam
• nail to last, trim to edge
• cut darts
• glue down and hammer

10

• white glue paste
• nail to stiffener down to edge
• heel support
• tape measure behind lining
• measures give rectangle, add curves
• skive
• no nails, since will see through lining
• just glue

11

• remove nails
• last
• [nails tacks with a hammer, not the lasting pliers]
• easiest in lap
• let sit a few hours
• [did topline right to top of cone of last]

12

• goal: no wrinkles, sharp edge, excess on bottom lies flat
• remove upper and add insole
• will glue to insole
• paper to trace bottom
• rubbing up last with chal
• same leather as for stiffeners
• tack to last

13

• last again
• first lining
• hammer the edge
• remove a few nails, glue, press down
• trim excess
• last upper

14

• fill with insole leather
• trace by rubbing
• glue in place, hammer down
• methods
  1. glue on sole (cementing)
  2. Goodyear welt
  3. Blake
• doing Blake-Goodyear hybrid [Blake-Rapid]
• midsole takes time

15

• trace outline of shoe bottom and trim around
• tacks paper to shoe to trace
• dye edge first
• glue and sew, or else squeaks

16

• insole template to mark insole stitches
• stitching groover
• punch holes with awl
• using like pegging awl
• will hit last
• easier in lap
• [inside sewn!]
• delast to sew
• thin wire for flower arrangers as needle
• fold back hook at end
• [DIY jerk needle]
• waxed thread

17

• stitching during train commutes
• reverse template for outsole
• relast to cement outsole
• before, hammer insole on stitches to flatten them, close holes

18

• check existing shoe for heel size
• hot brands the waist

19

• heel template
• 3 lifts per shoe
• outsole leather
• glue together
• press in vice

20

• for half sole, sand forepart and heel seat
• trim midsole edge

21

• stitching groover
• stitching all the way around

22

• awl from bottom
• tool last out so can push upper out of the way of the awl

23

• glue heels
• will screw later
• 2 screws, from the inside out, through the throat

24

• rubber half-soles from sheet
• top lifts from same sheet
• 4mm thick
• two layers of cement
• foam cushion to press with bodyweight
• sand edges and half sole transition on cobbler’s finishing machine

25

• “We have made shoes.”
• [never tries on on camera!]