Throughout the entire four and a half years that I've been living and traveling all across
Mexico, one of my favorite things about this country is the handmade products—things
that people pour their heart and soul into.
They pass down their traditions and their craft from generation to generation.
Today I have the opportunity to show you an awesome example of this.
I am here in the leather capital of Latin America: Leon, Guanajuato.
We are going to head into a very modest workshop to show you the process of how some shoes are made.
So I am actually here with my friend Giuliano, who I met back in Queretaro.
So this is your supplier's workshop and we're about to get a demo now of what the process
looks like to make these gorgeous shoes.
To start out at this factory, they don't make the leather here.
As it so happens, they have another factory for making the leather.
60% of the process is done here, 40% is done beforehand.
You know, that's like the kind of gross stuff, the skinning it, and, you know, anything to
do with the blood and guts of it all.
And that has to be done in a different area because of the chemicals that are used and the smell.
This is in a more residential area, so that's why when they get it, it looks like this.
And in order to turn it various colors, they use this big apparatus over here to turn it
colors like this, these browns, you know, dark brown and like the lighter brown colors.
They use a type of dust and they roll it around in this giant barrel for about eight hours.
Next they've got to throw it in a smaller barrel for the drying process.
This can take anywhere between one to two days, sometimes longer depending on the time
of year, whether it's the rainy season or the dry season.
We're about to head to another part of the factory where they do a different type of processing.
If the leather isn't meant to have those natural earthy tones, like the browns, then it's here
they can paint it with various colors and then they hang it up to dry.
I also got to give a shout-out to these adorable but ferocious dogs they have on the property,
who were both mad at our presence and very curious what we were doing there.
Now let's head back to their other factory to see what it looks like once the leather
is all prepped, painted, and ready, and how that turns into a shoe.
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So I am here with Paco, one of the owners of this factory.
And can you tell me subscribers the story of your family and also the factory?
Yes, of course.
My great grandfather started doing this 70 years ago.
Then, my maternal grandmother continued, that is, my grandmother's husband.
So we have been in the shoe business for over 50 years.
He traveled all over Europe learning a lot of knowledge.
My father and I did it.
It's like the inheritance my grandfather gave us more than anything.
And here, my brother is here working as well.
My cousin and another worker.
We're practically....the whole family ....40 relatives here in this business.
Wow.
Well yes, here in this little place we make a lot of pairs.
For all of Mexico and for the United States.
Wow, incredible.
Thank you so much for inviting us here to see the whole process
and it's incredible, the history of your family and the factory.
I'm delighted to help you know a little of the shoe-making process and see how it's done
in Mexico and in Leon, in the Coecillo neighborhood.
It's the traditional way in Mexico. The shoe capital, they say.
Well, thank you so much.
You're welcome.
And this is where the magic starts. This is where it all begins.
So here's where things start getting really interesting.
They first use a stencil to cut the leather into the shoe's shape—
supposedly this is the shoe's shape.
Honestly, even with my artistic mind, I can't picture how this is going to be a shoe.
I'm thinking, is this all the leather that's needed for one shoe?
Are there other pieces they sew together?
Time will tell, I suppose.
If they don't cut the pieces by hand, they also have this gigantic powerful pressing
machine.
Seriously this thing is taller than I am.
That punches metal stencils to cut the leather
Next, they apply a layer of glue to the inner curve, which I'm assuming would be the part
around your ankle, and then they make five-millimeter cuts in the curves.
And very carefully he crimps the leather together to start creating the form.
As you can see, those tiny cuts are necessary for the material to lay flat.
Next, he applies another layer of glue, which we will soon see is for a unique design element
of this particular model.
While that partially dries, the tassels are made.
This is what they look like on the final product.
This was a much more meticulous process of cutting, gluing, and tying than I would have imagined.
Paco explained that it's actually very complicated and all I can say is wowza, this takes an
incredible amount of patience and dexterity.
And finally, at this station a ridge is formed by crimping together the leather in this horseshoe shape.
Moving on, we head over to the sewing station.
First of all, this guy is an absolute wizard at his craft.
He seamlessly switches from another model of shoe to this one—shameless pun intended.
First, he changes out the thread colors and he just gets right to work.
To answer my own question from earlier, yes there are other pieces of material needed
to make this shoe.
For instance, it has an inner lining which is what he's sewing together here.
In record time, he's already switching to the exterior leather.
I mean seriously, look at what a speed demon this guy is.
I pretty much blinked and he had the entire shoe sewn together with perfectly straight
stitches.
The following step is to apply glue so the two pieces can be sewn together.
Finally, our amigo here does a bit of trimming and it's ready to pass off to the next person.
Now, we will head back into the other part of the workshop where they will attach a steel sole.
Yes, steel.
I was surprised by that.
What you see here is him nailing the inner sole to a hard plastic mold to help create
the shoe's final shape.
A bit more trimming is necessary, then he begins to apply a layer of glue to the sole
and also to the inside of the shoe's leather.
Throughout the process, I kept thinking, "Wow they're using their hands with all these glues?
I would think the chemicals would be dangerous."
But given that they've been doing this for decades, I'm going to have to assume that
they know the procedure and any risks associated with it.
Anyway, with all this super strong glue applied he's able to stretch the leather over the
mold and the sole.
I don't know why, but this was so mesmerizing and satisfying to watch because you can really
see it start coming together here.
Also he's just like really good at his craft—all of them are.
There was probably about five minutes of stretching and pounding at this step until he proudly
showed us what is really starting to look like an actual shoe now.
It's not finished though, of course.
Over here you have this powerful sanding machine where he roughs up the leather on the bottom
to create enough texture for the exterior sole to adhere properly.
Wow, apparently today is the day for rain here in Leon, so I'm not sure if you're gonna
be able to hear me, but at this point, they're gonna have to wait one day or ideally two
days or more for that to dry so it doesn't fall apart in the next steps.
So then after the one or two days are over, once the glue has completely dried, the next
step is going to be to put the soul...attach the soul to the shoe.
So they have this really scary powerful machine over here that basically pushes that soul
up into it.
And then, did I hear right that they use this heating thing?
Yeah.
So that like really solidifies the glue on there.
So this is all it's missing...this, this last part.
We just pretty much saw an entire shoe being made today here.
There are a few other details that go into the shoes as well, like attaching those tassels
we saw them make earlier, and using the stamping machine to imprint a gold logo on the insole.
From start to finish, I was both incredibly impressed and completely surprised by everything
that goes into making a single pair of shoes.
Okay, so Giuliano, I have a question for you...why shoes?
How did you start this in the first place?
Well, the idea was born with my late wife.
We were talking about creating a brand.
You know, clothing and shoes for both sexes, you know, female and male.
Since I'm, you know, by myself now here in Mexico...
You kind of wanted to carry it out you were saying in her honor.
Yes, exactly.
So one day I was on Facebook Marketplace and I met Paco and we were chatting about,
you know, shoes and his work.
I liked the guy and I liked his products, so we were just talking about, you know, creating
something cool and new.
And if that would even be possible, you know, create something that would be your vision
like, I mean, these behind me.
I don't know if you guys can see how brightly colored they are.
That, I think, is super unique and you wanted to do that why?
Why bright colors?
Mexico is a happy place.
I kind of wanted to imprint that in the shoes and the brand.
Like incorporate the vivacity of the bright colors like
you see it in the pottery and food.
Exactly!
Well and I live in Guanajuato.
Guanajuato is very colorful, San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato.
So this is, you know, this represents Guanajuato.
And so I thought it was interesting today, I was seeing all of this for the first time.
I had no idea how something could go from a piece of fabric to this amazing creation.
It really makes you appreciate it all the more.
And something else, when it comes to a business like this, you're just starting out.
You're in the stages of like, trying to get off the ground.
So I will send you guys to Giuliano's Facebook page, so that you can stay up to date with
what's going on with his business.
I'll link that down in the description.
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On the screen here is a video i made last week on Mexico City with a big announcement
at the end, so you'll definitely want to check that out.
One more thing before you go....
And GONG that bell so you get notified the next time I release a new video, and I hope to see you there.