The first pair
From the very beginning, I paid attention to every detail of the order. To this day, packaging plays a huge role in this process.
Typically, the first pair of shoes is created for a family member, a friend, or for yourself. I made my first trial shoe for myself, but for the first pair, I chose my mother. It's because I love her, but the fact that she could share her impressions of the fit also played a significant role.
For me, the right fit is the foundation of my work. The design comes last, even though the look always comes first, at the very beginning of the creative process.
This is because I'm a lastmaker, so I have complete control over both aspects, shoes and the fit. From the very beginning, this is how I envisioned running my business. I always wanted to have control over every detail of the final product.
My ambition is to move forward, to be fearless, and to confidently pursue my own designs.
For this first pair of shoes, the approach was exactly that. I bought undyed, vegetable-tanned leather straight from a Polish tannery. I intended to dye it myself to test the limits of my skills. So, from the very beginning, there were no shortcuts.
The upper had to be seamless at the back, as this is no easy feat, and the end result is usually super sexy.
Instead, the upper has a side seam as an alternative solution. This resulted in a four-piece upper. The lining is actually build from only two pieces, which, in retrospect, was surprising. Very ambitious design.
The construction is cemented. Each leather heel stack has thirteen lifts. This was also my first time using an old, flatbed Singer sewing machine to sew the uppers. A truly backbreaking set-up! I think you can already see how many things I was trying to do at once. A huge undertaking!
The fit was… terrible, unfortunately. That's why I rarely see this pair unless I specifically ask my mom for them. Usually, the shoes are safely tucked away in a box, away from everyone else. Making lasts is quite a difficult task. The fact that I even tried makes this project special. However, it was overly ambitious, and I failed miserably.
I have to admit, there were some nice touches. To create a pair of lasts that met my expectations would have been asking for too much. It didn't work out. But even so—the audacity—is awesome!
Man, I haven't seen these in years. Overall, revisiting this work was a pleasant experience. Nostalgic and impressive, making it a fantastic debut, in my humble opinion.