Shoes – What is a Shoe Last?

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Shoes – What is a Shoe Last?

In order to make a pair of women’s, men’s or kid’s shoes you will need a shoe last.

The design, shape, fit and size of shoes all depends on the shoe last.
As no two person’s feet are the same a good shoe last will represent the anatomical features of an individual’s foot. Not only will a shoe last represent the anatomical features of the foot it has also got to represent the design and fashion of the shoe.

Each shoe last has to be made for each individual shoes heel height and type of shoe.
Many styles of shoes can be made on the same shoe last, but the toe shape and heel height will have to be the same for each pair of shoes made on that particular shoe last
If you want shoes with different shapes of toe you have to design more than one pair of shoe lasts

Shoe lasts are traditionally made of hardwoods, such as Beech, Ash, Maple and Cherry. For Cordwainers the shoe last is the first stage in creating a fashionable well fitting pair of shoes. Shoe lasts are made from hardwood for two reasons, one because when wet material is placed on the last it will not expand and two the shoe last has to withstand a lot of pressure when bottoming the shoe. Today many shoe lasts are made from high density plastic.

The purpose of the shoe last is to create the shoe upper, the shape of the toe, the volume of the shoes. Plastic lasts and wood lasts have to easily hold small lasting tacks which are used to temporarily fasten areas of the shoes onto the last while building the uppers before the sole is added to the shoes.

Shoes made by true Cordwainers that make and use wooden shoe lasts are far and few behind. The main countries that you will find them are England, Italy, Denmark, Germany and Sweden and all of them will be custom shoe makers. They will make bespoke women’s shoes and boots, men’s shoes and Boots but only a few will make children’s shoes.