All our goodyear welted shoes, whether made by Sanders, Tricker’s or Loake shoes are essentially made in the same way. The process has hardly changed since the 19th century and involves up to 250 different processes which can take up to six weeks in total to complete. Components can vary but the reason that these brands of shoe are so popular is because the customer has come to appreciate that these shoemakers do not skimp on the quality of the components and attention to detail. The end result is a shoe which is built to last and will be superbly comfortable and simple to repair.
The construction process of all these shoes essentially involves 5 processes.
Clicking:
The term “clicking” stems from the sounds of the craftsman’s knife as he cuts out the individual leather shapes from the hide. It is essential to avoid the many flaws in the hide or they will be glaringly obvious in the finished shoe.
Closing:
The closing room is where the “uppers” are trimmed or “skived” to enable two or three pieces of leather to be sewn to one another without the seams becoming too bulky. Eyelets are let in and edges trimmed and stained.
Making:
In the “making room” the uppers are fitted around the last which determines the final shape of the shoe and the insole attached.
Welting:
The lasted upper now is ready to have the welt sewn to it. This is an inch wide piece of leather which runs right around the shoe. Once attached a liberal coating of cork filler then covers the underside of the insole providing excellent flexibility and insulation. A craftsman then lock stitches the sole to the welt and the heel is nailed on.
Finishing:
Finally the shoe is trimmed and all edges given a smooth edge. The leather soles are stained, polished and waxed and a leather cushioned seat sock is inserted inside the shoe. The uppers are then hand polished.
How Tricker’s, Sanders and Loake shoes are made:
