Zip Boot

Hark Weber Studio has been creating fully bespoke footwear for more than 10 years, with Amara Hark-Weber as the sole maker handling every aspect of production from last-making to final finishing. The Zip Boot exemplifies the studio's approach to creating custom footwear that begins with the shape of each client's feet and incorporates their specific design preferences and functional requirements.

Each Zip Boot requires between 40 and 100 hours of actual construction work, with Amara Hark-Weber creating every component of each pair including the lasts themselves. This ensures complete customization from the foundation up, not including time spent on client consultations and workshop maintenance.

Materials for the Zip Boot are selected from first and second-grade leathers sourced from established tanneries. Hark Weber Studio uses transparent dyes on unsanded, non-coated top-grain leather to showcase the natural characteristics of the material, while avoiding corrected grain leather entirely. A documented example of the Zip Boot features Horween Color 8 Chromexcel leather, photographed on the Patina Project platform in March 2022.

Liner materials consist of vegetable-tanned German leathers selected for their breathability and to prevent dye transfer to the wearer's feet. Sole options for custom boots include Vibram rubber, Lactae Hevea (a French cushioned rubber), and traditional leather soles. The studio also incorporates exotic leathers when requested, including CITES-certified ostrich, alligator, caiman, stingray, and shark, with strategic pattern placement to maximize the visual impact of naturally varied textures.

The creation of each Zip Boot begins with a fitting and design consultation where measurements are taken and the boots are planned based on the specific shape of the client's feet. Each pair is completely custom designed and built for individual clients, with Amara Hark-Weber creating every component including the lasts themselves, ensuring complete customization from the foundation up.

The studio's philosophy emphasizes quality over quantity, with production limited to two to three pairs monthly across all footwear types. Material costs typically range from $200 to $300 per pair before labor, with Amara noting that historically, cowboys expected to pay about one month's wages for quality boots—a standard she considers accurate for contemporary bespoke work. As the shoes are worn, they further conform to the wearer's feet, becoming progressively more comfortable over time.

Amara Hark-Weber holds an MFA in design from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she began making shoes after a serious car accident prevented her from continuing her previous work in photography and writing. She also holds degrees from the London School of Economics and Bard College. She has been making shoes and boots full time for more than 10 years.

Beyond production work, Amara dedicates approximately half her time to teaching shoemaking at colleges and folk schools nationwide, emphasizing creative freedom in her classes by having students design completely unique shoes rather than following pre-cut kits.

The studio's approach reflects Amara's philosophy that customers can "take all of those shoes that you don't really wear...and instead just buy one pair of shoes that you really like" that will last considerably longer than mass-produced footwear. This emphasis on creating fewer, better-crafted items aligns with the heritage footwear movement's focus on durability and repairability over disposability. The studio refuses to compromise on quality of materials, using only first and second-grade leathers from established tanneries.