When people ask “how long should shoes last?” the reality is: it depends on more factors than you can imagine. A shoe’s lifespan is determined by construction,
Types of Shoe Construction: The Ultimate Guide
Goodyear Welted, Blake, Hand Welted, Norwegian, Bologna, Cemented & More When it comes to high-quality footwear, the way a shoe is made is just as
Goodyear Welted vs Hand Welted – What’s the Real Difference?
When it comes to welted shoes, few debates stir the pot more than Goodyear Welted vs Hand Welted construction. As someone who owns a shoe brand, has made shoes
Hand Sewing the Upper: A True Craftsmanship Challenge
Hand sewing the upper is a demanding and meticulous process. At first glance, especially through pictures, it may appear straightforward—but don’t be fooled.
A Guide To Shoe Soles
In this guide to shoe soles, we will examine the various types of sole finishing you can expect to receive at different price points and make-ups, i.e.,
Closed Vs. Open Channel Sole Stitching
Generally speaking, there are two main types of sole finishing: Closed vs Open Channel. What do those mean though? An open channel sole stitch is when you look
Why Wholecut Oxfords Are More Expensive
Have you ever wondered why wholecut oxfords are more expensive and often cost more than other models of the oxford family? You might think to yourself that it
The Importance of a Shoe’s Shape
A shoe's shape is the single most important factor in its beauty. The greatest shoe brands often have the best last makers behind them as the proportion of the
Shoe Welt Joining – Good vs Bad
With the influx of Spanish private labeling (factories making for other brands) and Latin American shoemakers (Mexico, Argentina, Colombia etc), I am starting
What Makes A Shoe Its Price?
Achieving a shoe's price is not a science. At the end of the day, you can price your footwear how you want. There are suggested markups and ideologies about a
Hand Stitching The Upper
Hand-stitched shoes require a lot of work that we might not often appreciate. It is one of those art forms that is slowly fading as machine work increases.
Exposed Channel Stitch ≠ Sole End Of Life
If you are new to closed channel soles the exposure of the channel stitching might scare you. You might think that the sole is coming apart, breaking, or faulty
How To Become A Bespoke Shoemaker
It has never been so popular of a time to learn bespoke shoemaking. And it has never been so easy either, thanks to Schola Academy and Stefano
Handwelted Resoling With Fiddleback By Bedo’s Leatherworks
Dear Readers, Sorry that I was gone for so long without posting. I was away in London for the London Super Trunk Show 2022 and was busy from morning to night
Crockett & Jones – The Importance of Pattern Making
Pattern Cutting is one of the most important aspects of shoemaking and the one that probably the one that gets the least recognition but deserves the most
Video Series – What is a Derby Shoe?
Here is my 2nd video to my new video series. I hope that you all enjoy it! - Justin FitzPatrick
Things that Truly Don’t Matter in Shoes – Don’t Believe the Hype. Part 1 – Heel Stiffeners
The older I get the more my Shoe Snobbery evolves and thus wises up to the reality of everything you see and read and hear from the blogs, to shoe salesmen to
What Is a Handmade Shoe?
I recently wrote a piece about lies in the industry and how the terms 'handmade' and no-middlemen and the like were tossed around like confetti and that they
Leather Soles vs Rubber Soles
There is a long debate on the differences between leather soles vs rubber soles with regard to comfort/durability/elegance etc. So I thought it wise to create a
The Importance of Toe Taps
Growing up in America and selling shoes at Nordstrom, I never really understood what toe taps where all about. I had seen the ones that are simply nailed on and
