Making Your Own Shoes
by Jeff Norin
Introduction and Bylaws
Interpretive
Clothing
Scottish Culture
History
Music and Dance
Military Life
Language
Bibliography, Sources
and Library Materials
1. Cut soles and uppers. Glue template to stout cardboard. Using small nails, nail template to leather, using hole markings for nail holes. Use awl to make all indicated holes (except those for tunneling and butt stitching). Pound awl with mallet for sole holes. (To hide sole stitches, cut along holes ¼ depth of sole. ) Trace template with pencils and cut.
2. Tunnel stitch quarters as indicated. The rough side of the leather should be on the outside of the show.
3. Butt stitch latchets to quarters.
4. Stitch vamps to first sole. Start at the toe with 2 sets of double needled thread, 1 set on each side of the center lines. Alternate sets of thread as you sew towards the heel of the shoe. Back stitch and cut when done.
5. Sew quarters to first sole. As with the vamps use 2 sets of thread and needles, starting on both sides of the heels center line.
6. Butt stitch quarters to vamp.
7. Barge cement second sole to first sole. Use several light coats allowing each to dry to the touch. Press or clamp.
8. (Optional) Peg second sole. Shim all with scrap sole to a depth that won’t full pierce first sole. Pound pegs, trim if needed.
9. Rub edges of soles with a spoon to polish.
10. Wax shoes to your satisfaction.
11. Glue insole into place. Trim as needed to fit before gluing.
12. Cut ¼” width lace to tie shoes.
REPAIR
To remove a worn sole, introduce barge thinner.
ADAPTING TO OTHER SIZES
Trace the sole that fits you. Scribe a stitching line about the sole. Mark evenly spaced holes on the stitching line. Determine on sole where vamp will end and quarters begin, this gives the number of holes.
