Self-Made 42

This pair is my second shoe build and it truly was a labor of love. There must be miles of hand stitching between the visible stitches and the many more unseen beneath the surface. I wanted a shoe that was built like a tank—one tougher than the toughest work boots available. Only because I know my audience (and that includes anyone reading this), I’ve decided to list some of the components below. I’m sure if anyone appreciates these details, it’s this group! 7-8 ounce full grain cow hide leather Most parts of the shoe have at least two layers of this along with a 4 ounce Kip leather lining. 12 ounce toe puff and heel counter Hand welted with cork bed, steel shank and metatarsal pads built in. Insole was custom built years ago from many layers of leather to match the arch of my foot exactly. I wore them in my tennis shoes everyday for about two years. When it came time for this build, I simply used these as my insole and sewed them to the upper and 360 degree welt. There is a double midsole and Dr Soles Super Grip split soles. Brass toe kick made from a brass house number. I tried to buy ones already produced but couldn’t find exactly what I wanted so I made them. The 360 welt is stitched down to the double leather midsole. The outer sole stitch goes all the way through to the outsole, so I have options when it comes time to resole. The heel is made from stacks of 12 ounce leather and a bronze heel plate was made to fit between the leather and rubber outsole. The double stitched welt was done with a combination of three 1 mm threads of different colors (gold, silver, copper) twisted together (3 mm total) and I’m hoping those will become more visible with time as the wax melts away. The heel and outsole were clamped very tightly and nailed down with similar colored nails (brass, nickel and gold). All adhesions were done with Barges contact cement and tons of stitching. The eyelets are drum parts made from non-corrosive copper/brass

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Awards

Open Thunderdome Finisher2023-2024 Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome Open Edition

Aging JourneymanAwarded for documenting this item's aging

7 monthsApril 2024