Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette and our series on bespoke shoes,
where we show you how a custom pair of shoes is handmade by one shoemaker from start to finish.
♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪
Part one is all about taking measurements of the foot
so the final result will be something that is comfortable and looks the part.
Why spend thousands of dollars on a pair of bespoke shoes when you can also get a high-end
pair of men's shoes from a factory? First of all, you get a custom fit that is unrivaled. Secondly,
you can choose the exact details and styling that you would likely not get in a factory shoe. Last
but not least, you invest in longevity because a bespoke shoe can be resold over and over again,
thus bringing the cost-per-wear down considerably.
Choosing to commission a pair of bespoke shoes can be a daunting idea.
Even though you might know a lot about ready-to-wear
shoes, the process of buying bespoke shoes is entirely different. It's definitely not a "what
you see is what you get" experience and, instead, you have to imagine what the
final pair will look like at the beginning of the process based on a shared vision
of you and your shoemaker. So, we decided to bring you along on my bespoke journey with me;
showing you how a handmade shoe is made from start to finish. So,
you may wonder, "What's so special about this? Other people have already done that."
And yes, while it's true there's quite a few videos from bespoke shoe making out there,
we believe that oftentimes there are gaps - for example, in the upper making and,
often, those are outsourced and so it's not shown in the video.
Now, we work with a shoemaker who does every step from start to finish -
last making, upper making, sewing, welting, heel building, everything. On top of that,
we filmed over 100 hours of footage with three cameras, so we can get you nice details
and a very comprehensive coverage. Of course, we don't want to bore you, so we edit it all
down into a format that we hope you enjoy. In today's episode, one of the bespoke shoes series,
we'll look at the very first step, which is taking the measurements
of the feet. Episode two will be about bespeaking or designing the shoes.
And all the other videos in the series can be found in our playlist. But,
first, let's talk about the shoemaker behind this commission. Amara Hark
Weber from St Paul, Minnesota. Amara is not just a fabulous shoemaker, but also an
artist and an educator. And I consider myself really lucky to have someone like her in my
backyard because it's anything but normal to have a bespoke shoemaker close by in the US.
Amara began making shoes while completing her MFA at the school of the Art Institute
of Chicago. She continued her shoemaking journey by studying Western boot making with DW
Frommer. She learned how to make fine, handsewn men's shoes from Janne Melkersson in Sweden and
the Hungarian master Marcell Mrsán. Amara also makes women's shoes and learned the art of high
heel making from Chris Francis. She was also a recipient of the Rare Craft Fellowship in 2017
from the American Craft Council. Amara stands out because she makes
every single part of her shoes herself in her St. Paul workshop, and that includes
last making. Everything is completely designed and built from scratch for the individual client,
and you can truly see that level of individuality in the range of
her work. In addition to making shoes, she also teaches others on how to make them;
either in one-on-one classes or in school courses. It's also important to note that Amara is not
an orthopedic shoemaker and, just like many bespoke shoemakers,
she doesn't have the medical background.
But, she definitely takes into consideration sensitivities that you have with your foot
or sees things with someone
who has a very good understanding of feet in general. So, you may wonder,
"Why do measurements matter if I know my shoe size and my shoes off-the-rack fit me perfectly well?"
Chances are you've probably never felt the bespoke fit of a shoe before
because, at the end of the day,
we're all humans and no two feet are a hundred percent identical.
You may think they're the same size but, if you look closer,
they're definitely not. Also, a standard size from one manufacturer will be very different
than the standard size from another. And, sometimes, even within the same company,
different lasts have vastly different sizes.
Makes me wonder why it's even called a "standard size" to begin with? Also, I found that many men,
especially with wider feet, tend to wear shoes that are too big for them; meaning too long.
They want something that's comfortable in the width. Therefore, they end up with a shoe that
is much longer than what is ideally best for them, so the arch support is moved and everything else
isn't just quite right for them. On the other hand, many women choose shoes that are too
small for their feet. So, the big question is: why do we all choose shoes that don't fit us?
First of all, we just select from what's available and, secondly, we choose the size
based on the perspective we have from above. Now, a shoemaker can look at the foot and get the size
exactly right, so you walk comfortably for the rest of your life. Now, that's all fine and dandy,
you might think, but wouldn't the modern 3D scanner beat any measurements you take? Maybe
they would, but they're costly. I remember, a few years back, when higher-end department stores or
haberdasheries started having these 3D measurement tools for suits but, meanwhile, they've all
vanished and all the bespoke shoemakers I've ever visited never had any 3D measuring tools.
Probably because the old school way works well, so what does getting measured exactly look like?
Basically, there are five steps. Step number one is the "sitting for a fitting." It's called like
that because you actually have to sit and not stand. The first thing that's very important, but
most people don't even think about when getting measured, is the time of day when the measurement
takes place. So, why would a time matter? Well, actually the time itself doesn't matter so much,
but the volume of your foot does. And throughout the course of the day,
it changes. Lots of things can impact the volume or size of your feet. It can be things that you
eat in the day before or what you've done before. Let's say, you sit on your office chair
during a very hot day in the afternoon; your feet are gonna be a lot more swollen and bigger
than in the morning when you get right out of bed. The same is true when you sit on a long plane
ride. So, be careful not to take off your bespoke shoes mid-flight because they may not fit you at
the end of it anymore. This aspect is particularly relevant if you don't live close to your shoemaker
and you can't just go there in the morning right after you come out of bed,
but if you have to travel to get there. Keeping that in mind, Amara Hark Weber wanted to measure
my feet earlier in the morning, definitely before noon, and that's what we did. Now, different
shoemakers will have different techniques and measure different things in different ways,
but this is how Amara does it. First, the client gets to sit down on a chair and is supposed to sit
upright. The hips, knees, and ankles should be at a 90-degree angle. All this ensures that you get
the most accurate measurements of your foot. If the customer already has a pair of bespoke
shoes, maybe from a different maker, the shoemaker may want to look at them or not. Amara typically
does, but she's more interested in areas that show a certain amount of wear. She's not relying on the
shoe to create her own. The measurements should help to create not just a reflection of your foot,
but also an abstraction of it. Because of that,
it is important that you wear the right pair of socks.
I had a pair of dress shoes made, so I wore a pair of dress socks from Fort Belvedere. I could have
also worn a pair of tennis socks, but the result would have been different in the measurements
and it just would not be good. Ideally, you always want to wear the type of socks that you will wear
with a finished shoe or boot. In step two, we still don't measure,
but it's time to trace. A standard Manila folder is placed under the first
foot. Ideally, the foot is right at the edge of the folder's crease,
which helps not to shift during the measurement or tracing process.
Amara traces the foot twice with a pencil; first at a 90-degree angle and
then at a 45-degree angle. Why is that? Wouldn't just one trace be enough? Well
people have very different type of feet - some have fleshy feet, others have bony feet,
others have slim or narrow feet - and by using the two types of traces at a different angles,
these peculiarities are better reflected. Hardest way to do things is a combination of methods
she learned from her three teachers. And every shoemaker will probably have their own take on it.
At the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding and what matters is the result of the final shoe.
In step three, we finally get a measure of things. The heel is kept on the paper
while the toes and the ball of the foot are raised. A tape measure goes underneath the foot,
looking for the widest part of the foot at the joints. Some bespoke makers measure
from the pinky toe to the joint. Amara likes to measure from joint to joint.
She does this so the knuckles of the toes have enough room to move and flex in a final
shoe. Amara prefers to take measurements in centimeters rather than inches. Why? Well,
metric is a lot easier to work with when it comes to tiny measurements. I mean, can you imagine what
that would look like? A little change would maybe be 3/64 of an inch or 7/128 of an inch.
Crazy. Interestingly, units of measurement are not required to measure your feet. For example,
DW Frommer taught Amara how to do it without any numbers at all. He would simply employ strips of
tape to measure the length of something. I can see the merit to that because you're never tempted to
round up or round down; you just take the exact measurement in the length as it is and then cut
it or mark it. The next measurement is a repeat of the previous one, but at the ball of the foot.
None of these measurements are taken too tightly and, as Amara says it,
she likes to fit what's there.
The high spot around the arch is what's measured next.
This is when Amara likes to understand if there's typically some sensitivity or discomfort
when the shoe is laced. Luckily, I only ever feel discomfort or sensitivity
if I tighten my shoes too much. And over the course of a day, when I take off the shoes,
I can definitely feel it. At this stage of the measuring process, I also mentioned to Amara
that I typically have issues with my very slim heels;
especially on shoes like loafers or Chelsea boots,
they don't have any lacing system to keep the shoe on my heel. Next up is what Amara likes to call
the "magic spot." No, it's not that magic spot. Instead, it's where the leg meets the foot,
which is an important measurement for boots. And even though I may not want boots,
she's takes the measurement regardless in case I change my mind later on. In a pair of bespoke
boots, this measurement will help you to keep the boots on your feet at all times.
Then, the ankle bone height is measured from the floor up. Again, it's a boot measurement,
but it never hurts to have it in the first place.
For the same reason, Amara likes to record the circumference at the ankle as well.
The short heel comes next, which is the measurement
from around the back of the heel to the magic spot.
Then comes the long heel, which is the same style of measurement but taken closer to the instep.
Now, it's time to raise the foot and take more measurements. Now, all the measurements that were
just taken have to be retaken with a foot raised. I sit there with one leg crossed over the other.
Why measure again? Well, by being in a different position,
it shows how the measurements at the same spots changes in different scenarios.
Remember, your foot is a natural thing. That means it's asymmetrical and it's
also not a fixed size, but a varying size. Once the first foot is measured,
standing and raised, it's time to repeat the procedure for the other foot. Finally,
comparing the measurements of both feet can be very interesting. I always knew that my right foot
felt a little bigger than my left foot, but now, I had specifics. For example,
my right foot had a slightly less prominent bone on my instep. In step four, we're searching for
sensitivities. Something a lot of people don't realize is that your left foot and your right foot
can have very different sensitivities. And, no, I'm not talking about you being a whiner,
but about just natural things and the way they feel to you. For example, for the longest time,
Amara used to believe that her right foot was larger than her left foot.
She thought that because she could always feel the leather against her toes with her right foot. But,
when comparing the measurements, she actually realized that her right foot was, in fact,
smaller than her left foot. It's simply that her right foot is more sensitive to touch
and feel than her left one and that's why it felt bigger to her. So, if you can, you
might want to review the measurements with your shoemaker to discuss any abnormalities or issues
you have with your feet. Let's say you get a lot of blisters, for example, well,
now is the time to raise that concern and point out where that's happening.
For example, in my ready-to-wear shoes, I had noticed that, sometimes, if there's a cap toe
and I walk in them all day, I get the blisters on the top of my toes on my right foot. Talking
about all these details ensures that the final product won't have these issues - at least,
ideally. So, now in step five, we use a pedograph. Generally, there are devices that you can buy,
but they're rather pricey. And so, Amara's partner, who's very handy, just built one for her,
which I thought was very cool. Not only do they make the shoes, but they also build the tools.
Impressive! First, an old-school roller is used to distribute ink evenly on the inside of the
pad. Now, a piece of paper is applied on top of it and then you stand on it. Amara uses a chopstick
to trace or outline your foot and that works quite well. Although, other makers may use a
different tool in a chopstick with a pedograph. Amara really likes it because it has the same
benefit of a pencil and that she can recognize everything that she needs to see,
but it doesn't destroy or break the mesh layer of the pedograph. I guess, we've all experienced
stinky feet before, but no one wants inky feet either. Your foot is measured in the pedograph
when you stand on it with your full weight. It's important it doesn't happen when you sit
because your foot spreads and shapes differently as you stand and apply weight. This is the
function of the ink in the pedograph. Because the darker spots show the shoemaker how your shape
shifts as you apply weight and move a little bit. It will also show any protrusions or calluses at
the bottom of your feet. Once the pedograph has been used on each foot, that concludes
the measurements. Again, different shoemakers may have different measurements; maybe they want to
figure out the exact height of your toe-ball area so they can get it really close to your foot. And
different makers just have different ways of doing things. If you're interested in even more detail
and you want to see the full measurement process, become a patron and you can see this very special
full video. Otherwise, episode two is all about bespeaking or designing the pair of bespoke shoes.
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