BESPOKE

No two feet are identical.

Retail shoes are made on average lasts that may come close, but never really match your feet.

Based upon my knowledge on Orthopedic shoemaking I can create the lasts and the shoes that fit your needs. Whether it’s a pump, a boot or anything in between.

If you need a pair of well fitted shoes, please feel free to contact me on the possibilities.

LAST MAKING

Lasts are essential when it comes to shoemaking.

A last is a mechanical form that respects the foot and it’s properties. Though a last is made approximately in the shape of a human foot, the precise shape is tailored to the kind of footwear being made. For example, a pump last would be designed tight to the actual foot for a close fit.

In my atelier I mostly use wooden lasts that will be modyfied to the clients needs and measurements.

In some cases it’s necessary to make a plaster casting of the feet and create the lasts from scratch.

PATTERNS AND UPPERS

Finding harmony within the design is probably the most important and challenging element of pattern making.

Especially when feet are not identical, the challenge lies in dividing the shape of every part in such a way that the shoes are in balance.

It’s also very important that the mean form and the detailed patterns are very precisely made. A last has a relatively small surface and the difference between a good fit and a poor fit pattern can be a matter of millimeters.

Patterns and uppers are my speciality. In the past 30 years I have made up to 9,000 pairs of complex patterns and uppers for the Orthopedic Shoe Industry.

HEELS, PLATFORMS AND WEDGES

Building a heel, a platform shoe or wedges can be quite a challenge.

It takes a lot of skill to create the right height and shape, combined with the required stability and light weight to make them wearable.

And if this isn’t difficult enough, shoes come in pairs and must be mirror images of themselves.

MOLD MAKING

An important part of my work is creating molds for heels, platform shoes and wedges.

Molds are essential when I need to reproduce small series of an original design.

All molds are made in the atelier. I make them myself, because the heels and platforms that need to be reproduced, must be suited for their purpose. Every single design has specific individual demands on strength and weight.

BUILDING THE SHOES

The lasts and the uppers are the first two steps needed to make a pair of shoes. In the third step the soles, the heels and the reinforcement materials are applied.

It’s the stage where the shoes get their final appearance.

Removing the last is the final step in the shoemaking process.

Although I have made many pairs of Orthopedic shoes and regular shoes, my expertise lies in creating the extravagant.
Check out the work page and be amazed by the infinite possibilities.