Sometimes what you won't do seems to be as important as what you intend to do.

I want to be seen as original. I'm not cut from the same cloth anyway. After the trial period, I want to publish subsequent installments behind a paywall. This is how I plan to cover my expenses to maintain this site.

For now, I'm conducting research, comparing online courses and tutorials to see what I can bring to the table. At the same time, I already have an interesting idea for showcasing my favorite shoemaking tools from Starko, offering you tips and useful information, showing how I use them in my daily work. I'll be starting this series soon.

Time will tell what this little side project will become. I want something fun, yet useful. Playful, yet intelligent. Cool, but in a new, original way.

Working on this prototype went quite quickly. The lines are the result of a single design session. It was a successful session. The idea was to capture the design as simply as possible and then try to redesign it if I felt the need after spending some time with it. It's always safe to let this soak in like a seasoning into your mind.

This project has been on my mind long enough to have undergone some changes. I've tried to produce a different upper, even use a completely new last. But I've made my final decisions. You can't keep thinking about it forever...

The prototype

Perhaps this derby shoe design will serve us well as a prelude to my first tutorial session. The photo shows my first prototype for this commission. I think it will be interesting to see how the lines and ideas evolve from this stage to the final pair of shoes. In any case, that's the fun of creating fully functional builds.

Part One - The Design

I thought I'd start with something like this. Divided and thematically linked into separate sections, taking you along on the process of creating a derby shoe design. I was inspired by the early days of cinema. The image is accompanied by captions.
This is a pilot series. I don't know what format I'll adopt yet. I'm just playing around with ideas and material. I guess the point is for you to have fun with it too. At least for now.
My work, my photos, my words. Just the way I like it.
Let’s start with establishing the frame for the design. Absolutely basic stuff.

This is a combination of lines and key points on the last. Along these lines, I'll anchor my design in the classic way. I usually use masking tape to draw, but this time I'll do something different – I'll place my design directly on the last.
First, measure the full length of the last at the bottom. Mine is 290 mm.
Mark the creasing line. It is mighty important key point.

First and foremost, take a moment to estimate the total heel height. I'm looking for this line parallel to the ground. The client's foot should be in a neutral position so that the toes don't shift toward the front of the shoe. My size is the classic 25mm.
The crease line marks the point where the sole touches the ground. Mark these points on both sides and create a line connecting them at the top of the last.
Mark key points A and B. The frame is anchored to the three key points.

Draw the centerline of the last. Point A is marked halfway between the feather edge of the last and the centerline. On my last it reads 76 mm, so point A is marked at 38 mm.
Point B is marked accordingly, although the distance here is 70 mm. The lateral side is always longer than the medial side.
Measure a full height of the heel counter. Mark key point C.

Measure the full length of the last (290) and multiply by 0.22 to get the correct height. In my case, it's 64 mm. This measurement is also our key point C, marked at the centerline of the heel. Draw straight lines connecting points: A to C and B to C. You now have a frame ready to use! Our guidelines.
Original split toe derby shoes. The result of a single design session. Again.

That's how I planned it. However, sometimes things take their own course. The guidelines we've established here remain universal for every project. However, the design itself will be different. More on that in the next installment.
To be continued...

In the next installment, I'll be covering the process of creating the upper. I think this project is interesting enough to focus on. I'm pretty sure it'll be a lot of fun, as I'll be using techniques drawn from my experience creating wholecuts.

Part Two - The Uppers

It's beyond obvious that I love what I do. I chose the most ambitious and difficult path, deciding to take full control of every element of the product. Making shoe lasts or producing uppers are such broad tasks… Each of these tasks already provides a full-time job. Therefore, inevitably, doing everything using a single pair of hands will expose weaknesses.
Making uppers remains the most challenging task to this day for me. There's still so much to discover. But I also chose this profession because I don't want to reach the finish line. I want to keep running.
The Upper Ripens Like a Fruit

I'm searching for my own path. I anticipate eventually adopting established techniques, but I can't help but fuel my curiosity and find ways to do things my own way.
This creates problems, and solving them teaches me why methods from books work better in practice.
However, I'm certain that even by adopting techniques developed by other artisans, I'll retain some of that wild experimentation. And this is what will guarantee my originality. A unique approach to craftsmanship is the most fundamental characteristic of bespoke shoemaking.
Creating the Linings

I make linings for shoes in a different way than I do for boots. For the latter, the front part is made out of thicker and stiffer leather. Combining a few lineaments of materials requires a second thought. In practice, this translates into the need to solve the problem of concealing the transition between the lining components.
In this case, I adopted a simple solution. The lining is made from a single piece of leather. The only problem to solve is the tongue lining, which must be added later, although it is still cut from the same hide. The seam is located in a hidden area. This construction gives the impression of a single-piece leather lining, stitched once using a side seam.
To ensure this stitching is accurate, I place a mock-up of the heel underneath. Once I have the proper position of the last, I mark a straight line at a ninety-degree angle. This ensures that the stitching line runs perfectly vertically in the finished shoe. Of course, I cut the lining leather using the same method.
Side-Linings Before Assembly of the Upper?

The answer is "No!" While this isn't a problem with oxford style shoes, this method won't work for an open-throat derby shoes construction.
This is primarily because it's difficult to assess the correct stiffener height before cutting the lining leather to cover the facings. Using the standard 35-millimeter height, it's usually necessary to cut through at least one of those stiffeners.
The bottom line? For derby shoes, the side-linings should be installed after the upper is completely assembled. The method described in "Part Three" will work much better here.
Consequently, although this method allows the lining to self-adjust to the last during the lasting job, I generally considered it pointless. Using that other method, you achieve exactly the same end result. The height of the side-linings should be adjusted according to the style of given shoes, not a rigid theory.
Questioning Everything

You might ask, "Why all this tinkering?" My answer is clearly stated in several places on this website. In this particular case, the goal is to create a pair that, while sharing certain common features, will be intriguing due to the differences in detail.
Same leather, same color. Identical counters and aprons. Same split-toe stitching method. But different top lines, different facings. Different enough to feel original, and similar enough to not give the impression that someone made a mistake while dressing up here. Moreover, the left shoe will sport a derby-style lacing system, while the other will cleverly imitate a derby but technically will be an oxford-style shoe.
Besides, I'll be taking a very bold step in the toe design, one I haven't seen anywhere else. Therefore, this type of madness must be reserved for prototype work only.
Patterns

It's the Holy Grail of a good bespoke shoemaking. Armed with the patterns ready to rock'n'roll, I feel like a king. Meanwhile, until I get to that point, until I check if they translate into properly fitting shoe uppers, I suffer from insomnia and I'm tormented with doubts about the very point of existence of the whole Universe.
How do I achieve the desired results will remain a mystery. At least until I come up with a tutorial worthy of being hidden behind a paywall.
In any case, the pattern making process is the part where I feel a huge respect for the upper maker's profession. It requires years of experience, a considerable amount of knowledge, and a touch of artistry. Everything else in shoemaking feels like a piece of cake to me. Good upper making is a tough nut to crack.
Shoe Care Products and Materials

Whenever I'm working on a prototype upper, I love using different types of reinforcements with unusual textures and technical characteristics I'm not familiar with. Unlike the upper mock-ups, my prototypes will always end up on someone's feet, so this is the best way to see what works and what doesn't.
Before assembling the upper, I carefully care for the leather with my favorite conditioners. This is especially true for the linings, as proper caring for this leather in the finished product is quite difficult for obvious reasons. Yet, every little piece needs the same amount of love!
It's also the only chance for that to the leather parts that will eventually go under the last and will never be touched by anyone else but me. If you do your job well enough, you will learn to spot opportunities to do good at every stage of the production process.
More to come this spring

I showed you the preparatory work for the uppers. This situation is a bit different because these prototypes shown here will become a pair of unique shoes. I want to experiment with breaking symmetry. I'll see in practice what it's like to wear such an unusuals.
But that's not all. I also plan to add photos later from the production process of the uppers for one of my clients, which will stem directly from this experience. I think it will be interesting to see how these experiments influence the production-level work.
The Design Sessions I Like

This is a hint of what I'm talking about. I enjoy this approach. I use the wholecut lasting on top of the lining leather with side-lining stiffeners already installed. This way, I work with the correct dimensions of the final upper. I can fine-tune my patterns before moving on to the production phase.
Next month, I'll re-write the Part One of this tutorial series. I've taken the project in a different direction. Again. Damn, that's just me!
The simplicity of wholecut patterns is what makes working with them so interesting for me. I like my uppers to be like a kind of shell that beautifully covers the shoe last.
Hand-Sewn

I do all my upper work by hand. I don't use a sewing machine. I'm confident in the proper thread tension in every stitch, and I can mix thread colors in ways that aren't possible with a sewing machine.
Of course, this takes an insane amount of time. Where others seek optimization, cost-cutting, and time-savings, I am interested in respect for manual labor, spirituality, dedication, and good craftsmanship. This is my work philosophy.
Ultimately, no one cares whether a craftsman devoted one week or three months to his work. When a product is held in hand, the human mind subconsciously receives a vast number of stimuli that attest to its quality. The feeling of holding something carefully thought out, well-made with confidence and self-belief – these are the emotions I strive to evoke.
Fourth Installment

In the next installment of this series, we'll take a closer look at my work on the production of the most crucial component in the construction of hand-sewn shoes – the insole.
The durability of a bespoke shoemaker's product depends on the proper preparation of this very element. After all, the hand-welted construction type is the most significant difference between a pair of shoes from a store shelf and a pair made by hand.

Part Three - The Stiffeners

In our community, we enjoy showing each other elements we know and love, but which, for the clients, will forever remain a mystery about their pairs. This is because we develop our own techniques over time and approach the entire process individually. This perfectly reflects the level of attention to detail that, to the trained eye, provides a clear message.
Here are a few words about stiffeners, using the example of the process of creating one of my prototypes. I generally apply the same principles to all my pairs.
Heel Counter

In this prototype, I'll be testing a method I'm interested in for sewing the heel into the shoe. That's why my insole has this strange frame around the back. As a result, I had to pay a little more attention to shaping the heel counter, as it won't naturally fit on the last as it usually does.
However, aside from this small detail, the process remains virtually the same. I always shape the heel counter according to the design I'm working on. I design my uppers directly on the last, so I can plan the desired shape and length very precisely.
I wet-mold the leather with the insole already attached to calculate the heel counters feather edge in a way that best suits my process.
Calculating the Proper Height

Measure the total length of the bottom of the last in millimeters. Divide this by five and add three. This will give you the height of the heel counter, but remember that this refers to the last itself, without the insole. Mark this height on the last and shape the heel counter according to this measurement.
Why this method? The total height of the back of the upper is calculated using a different method. It is explained in Part One of my tutorial. If you compare the two results, you'll see that the difference is usually about three millimeters. This is the correction resulting from the need of stitching along the top line of the upper. In this way, both heights of those elements will align perfectly.
Therefore, when you insert the heel counter into the upper, the feather edge will always be well-defined, which is absolutely crucial to my method.
Shaping the Feather Edge

Once you know the correct height of the heel counter, take into account the thickness of your insole as well. Now you can measure the correct proportions. Mark off the total height of the counter and add about twelve millimeters. While skiving the leather edges, also trim the underside edge of the heel counter to create a semicircular concavity that will fit nicely to the bottom of the insole.
When shaping the counter, I usually mark its exact feather edge with a marker. This will become clear in my toe puff example. It's that red line. This helps me to know exactly how to measure that twelve millimeters of excess material. After skiving, the heel counter will naturally fit the last, as shown in the photo.
After shaping the heel counter, trim what's under quite thinly. Then, use a rasp and a hammer. And you're done. The photos show exactly what shape it should take.
Toe Puff

My method for installing the toe puff is a direct result of what I described earlier. Therefore, the process can be treated similarly.
For men's pairs, the toe puff should be up to sixty-five millimeters long. For women's pairs, this value is reduced by ten millimeters.
Before sewing the welt in, I precisely glue and cut the lining in place. This allows me to form that sharp feather line using the same method as for the heel counter. The long stiffeners, toe puff, and lining are formed so that when sewing the welt, I also pass through all these materials.
So, everything is sewn in, but I have a cleaner view, and I only have to care about the upper while working. It's clean, aesthetically pleasing, and there's less cutting after welting is done.
Respect your Time and Materials

This is just a prototype, so it's worth emphasizing one more thing here. Learn to manage your time wisely, and above all, respect the materials. Remember that the leather is very valuable, so for this type of work, use only the worst possible pieces of the hide.
This is just about testing ideas, so there's no point in trying too hard. Knowing how to pair time and material investment according to your goals is incredibly important.
The toe puff before and after shaping the feather edge. I work on the underside first. The leather of the toe puff here is still thick enough to easily form a well-defined edge line.
In the case of a real-deal pair, this line is even and razor-sharp. For that use case a thicker piece of leather is more appropriate. So you can use your shoemaker’s knife to neatly shape that stiffener after its installation.
Long Stiffeners/Side-Lining

My long stiffeners are cut from templates measured to fit specific lasts. That's why my templates are carefuly marked, and the finished stiffeners fit perfectly. I usually use very thin lining leather. I glue them skived to nothing already using water-based glue directly onto the lining. After the uppers have been removed from the last. Right after the initial lasting process.
There are relatively few rules. They should go fairly deep under the heel counter and at least seven millimeters under the toe puff. They should be glued evenly along the entire length of the lining, at a height of about thirty-five millimeters. The pre-formed upper itself indicates how they should be glued. There should be no creases or wrinkles.
The amount of excess under the last doesn't really matter. I add about twelve millimeters there.
A blog post coming soon.

I've already planned a post in the "Thoughts & Prayers" page on this very topic. I'll talk through the entire process in more detail there. Here, I have presented only the basics of stiffener installation.
Like with any other shoe construction element, everything matters. The key is to ensure that, when properly installed, they don't visually reveal their existence in the finished shoe.