Shoemaking step-by-step

A post for reference! This is a checklist of every step in my process for making hand-welted leather boots and shoes.

But first, a proud shoe mama moment: I used this checklist to guide my latest project, these barefoot-style derby boots.

OK! A few general notes on this step-by-step checklist:

It assumes the pattern has already been drafted.
It assumes a derby boot construction with a 360-degree welt and rubber soling that comes in a sheet.
It assumes veg tan upper leather (but if using chrome tan, can just skip the burnishing steps).
I’ve included my notes for both a regular tongue and a bellows tongue.
On the sewing:
- I sew the outer leather by hand using a saddle stitch about 3mm in from the leather’s edge. For edge-to-edge stitching (only the spine of the quarters), I use a box stitch, aka x-and-bar stitch.
- For lining-only seams (again, only the spine of the quarters), I use a zigzag stitch on my sewing machine.
On the glues: Unless otherwise noted, the glue I use is Renia Aquilim, a water-based contact cement. Other glues that make an appearance are Hirschkleber (for attaching the stiffeners), very basic white PVA glue (for tacking down the lasted outers), and Renia Colle de Cologne (for securing the soling).
Shoemaking resources that have taught me a lot and helped inform this process:

Prepping stiffeners

Cut heel counter and toe puff from 2–3mm thick veg tan leather.
Glass the skin sides of both stiffeners.
For the heel counter, skive only the upper edge down to nothing. Leave the lower edge with a bit more thickness (this’ll make it easier to push the stiffener up in between the lining and the outer later on, and the feather edge can be cut and smoothed down once the heel counter is in place).
For the toe puff, skive all edges down to nothing. The thinner the long side (that’ll end up at the feather edge), the easier it’ll be to last.

Write a list of all pattern pieces (listing both left and right pieces makes forgetting a piece, or forgetting to mirror one, less likely). For a pair of derby boots, we’ve got:
- Outer leather:
  - Toe cap (L, R)
  - Vamp (L, R)
  - Quarters (L, L, R, R)
  - Back strip (L, R)
  - Tongue (L, R)
- Lining leather:
  - Vamp (L, R)
  - Quarters (L, L, R, R)
  - Back strip (L, R)
  - Insock (L, R)
Map out the natural stretch structure of the outer and lining leather, and mark any blemishes.
Lay out pattern pieces on leather, matching directions of stretch. Reserve the best leather for the vamps (most visible) and the least nice bits for the tongue and insock (least visible).
Trace pieces onto leather with silver pen.
Cut out pieces just inside silver lines.
Skive areas of over/underlay.
If dyeing public sides of leather, use a few coats of aniline dye, followed by dye sealer, followed by Tokonole.
Transfer pattern markings (e.g., alignment points, lasting allowances).
Outer: Burnish all edges that’ll end up as a single layer (e.g., tongue edge, lower curve overlay on quarters, overlay on toe cap, overlay edges of back strip, overlay of vamp over tongue).

Trace feather edge using silver pen.
Sew on welts through holdfast and lasted uppers, aiming for the welting awl to exit upper at the feather edge line.
Wet welts and hammer flat.
Fill in centre of holdfast with cork filler.
Hammer and rasp the sole surface down so it’s fairly smooth. Doesn’t need to be perfect.

Use the circumference of the welted edge, plus a few mm ease, as a pattern to cut the midsole from 3mm veg tan.
Rough both skin side and flesh side of midsole.
Cement flesh side of midsole onto sole surface.
If using a fudge wheel, apply fudging to welt.
Mark stitching line about 4mm in from edge of welt.
Pre-punch welt stitching holes using stitching awl (not welting awl), taking care not to damage upper.
Sew welt and midsole together.
If midsole still overhangs welt, trim edge down. Doesn’t need to be perfect—will sand all edges down later.

Take heel pattern off of midsole bottom.
Cut heel lift(s) from same leather as midsole.
Cement (using Renia Colle de Cologne) + peg (with pegging awl + wooden toothpicks) each successive heel lift layer.
Trim heel stack down to edge of midsole.

Take soling pattern(s) off of trimmed midsole/heel.
Cut rubber outsole pieces, including a bit of ease.
Rough the midsole leather and the upper face of the outsole.
Cement midsole and soling rubber together (two coats of Colle de Cologne); bind tightly with bike tubes/fabric strips for min 12h.
For extra security, fix rubber soling to midsole/welt using short tacks (esp useful at heel and toe).

Once cement has set, trim down outsole rubber as much as possible.
Carefully sand down welt/midsole/outsole edges. I like to taper the sanding in at the inner waist to make an elegant curve.
Bevel welt’s upper edge.
Remove dried glue bits from welt/sole edges with rubber crepe.
If dyeing edges, apply dye and dye sealer.
If needed, touch up dye on upper too.
Burnish welt/sole edges with Tokonole and canvas cloth.

Remove the last! Try on the shoe! Celebrate!
If extra heel security is needed: Hammer tacks from top of insole into heel stack.
If adding lacing loop to tongue: Lace up boots, mark desired point on tongue to attach the loop, and then sew on a strip of leather (each strip about 12mm wide by 36–48mm long).
Cement insock to top of insole, in three phases: first the heel (easiest to reach and align), then midfoot (using the cemented heel bit as an anchor, slide insock forward over insole), and finally the hard-to-reach forefoot.

All done 🥾👢👞🥂✨