Shoemakingbook.com - Learn to make shoes by hand. Bespoke Shoemaking, A Comprehensive Guide to Handmade Footwear - By Tim Skyrme This text book is designed to teach the art and craft of handmade shoemaking. Bespoke shoemaking means that you are making the footwear of whatever type, be it shoes, boots, or sandals, from scratch. That is, taking foot measurements, drawing up the patterns, and making the footwear using materials that you have agreed upon with the customer. After any intensive learning period such as college, there are still large gaps in the information that is retained and I wrote this book as there was nothing currently available to fill this gap. This manual is designed for students and other interested people, to learn to make shoes by hand, using traditional methods which require very little in the way of machinery. There has been no text book until now that tells you what to do once the patterns are cut. This one does. This text book will also allow students to learn at home, if accessing a learning institution is not viable. Living in Australia, I am fully aware of the problems of distance when trying to study. This shoemaking manual runs to 300 pages with 700 images. They are all taken from photos and video footage of me making the shoes, so they show the correct positioning for the hands when holding tools and performing  tasks.     What “they” say about the book. "I think this book is going to be a very significant text for those interested. It is so thorough, and very clear. It's very easy to follow your instructions and will be invaluable for both intro and experienced shoemakers. I look forward to more! I think your book will be a standard part of any shoe making program at university. It's so comprehensive compared to anything else I've seen. Even after four years of experience, your book will still be an invaluable resource for me, and will fill in gaps in my knowledge and confirm things I am doing right" ... Matt Renna, Shoemaker and leather goods designer. " This is the most comprehensive shoemaking book I have ever seen. The detailed information and step by step processes are very useful. Well done. There was a real need for this book to be written - Thank you." ... David Stanners - Shoemaker. "I have taught adult ed shoemaking for lots of years and would really appreciate an up to date book to tell people to buy - it was something I thought about doing myself as I have written and photographed quite a lot over the years but never got to it and so am very pleased someone has" ... Luna Newby, Shoemaker and teacher. "This will be the standard for the modern shoemaker. I cannot believe the detail. This book is a needed reference for beginning as well as advanced shoemakers. There is a very real need for a 'Hand Shoemaking Manual', which could become the standard text book worldwide. I have been in this business for a few months short of 30 years and would have given anything to have had  a book of this caliber to help me learn the craft. I think there is a real need for a complete knowledge book about the construction/assembly of shoes from ground zero. There is nothing out there that really covers every aspect of construction and assembly." ... Larry Waller, Shoemaker and teacher. "Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I probably don’t need to say any more, there are a few things I do differently but the result is the same." ... Greg Kilgour, Western Bootmaker. "Anybody who takes the trouble to try to spell out the process of hand shoemaking, to me is either a saint or a little crazy. Perhaps some of each." ... Frank Jones, Footwear lecturer and book publisher. "Bespoke Shoemaking is a comprehensive and long sought after manual that demystifies the intricacy of the shoe making process." ... TCM Reviews, more here. There is no other book like Tim Skyrme’s Bespoke Shoemaking. Ditch the apprenticeship with the grumpy old boot maker and set Tim’s wonderful book on your workbench. It is the only concise explanation you will need of all the methods, techniques, and tools required for shoemakers. I’m not sure if I ever would have successfully made shoes without it.  Very many thanks to Tim. - Zoé Rios "I received your book a couple of days ago - wow!" - Leslie M. "Fantastic book, thank you Tim. Well done on writing what I have been looking for for ages!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!"  - Rebecca B. "Your Book is Fantastic......The book was one of the best written things I have ever read!" - Bill G.     Contents of Bespoke Shoemaking. Foot Measurement Lasts Last Building Sizes Mean Forme Construction Basic Styles Seam Allowances Edge Allowances and Treatments Last Standard Derby Shoe Design Construction Tools Materials Clicking Skiving Folding Closing Closing a Derby Oxford Shoe Design Closing an Oxford Insole Preparation Lasting Trying the Shoe For Fit Preparing the Shoe for Soling Fitting the Sole Finishing the Sole Hand Built Leather Heels Socks Dress Boots Court Shoes    To purchase your copy and have it signed, use this button.  .     The Book, and it's reason for being. This shoemaking manual contains 300 pages of information based on a practical career as a bespoke shoemaker and teacher over 25 years. Included are 700 illustrations taken from video and photographs, so you don't have to interpret anything. All images have been worked to provide the clearest picture of what I am describing without any extraneous background. I have tried to include as much detail as possible with emphasis on the things most encountered by a shoemaker working on  a daily basis. How to attach buckles, covering heel blocks, and putting in socks are quite often skipped during training. These things are important and used regularly so understanding them is crucial. Sandals are also often overlooked as a form of footwear for teaching purposes and have specific attributes and problems that require specialised solutions. Similarly, platforms and joggers are often asked for by prospective customers. This textbook was originally intended for use by my students but it became increasingly obvious that I had too much information and it should be available to anyone and everyone. Bearing that in mind, I have assumed that if someone knows nothing at all about shoemaking and wants to learn, then I had to put in everything I could think of to make the path easier for  them. The most basic step I could think of is that nothing can be done without a sharp knife because it is impossible to proceed without one, and the rest of the book continues from this premise. I originally set out to only give the patterns for a derby shoe as that is the exercise that I used when teaching, thus the book had to be expanded to allow inclusion of the patterns for this, and how to make them. Afterwards I included patterns for an oxford to give some variety for projects. There are other pattern cutting books so I don't see a need for me to continue with the pattern side of things, my job now is to provide knowledge for anyone to put the shoe together using practical instructions, because that is the information that is fast disappearing. I hope that any shoemaker can get enough out of the book to avoid making costly mistakes, and spending time on non-productive jobs. Feel free to contact me with questions and suggestions. I am not sure if I will be able to reply to all, but it may inspire changes, or new directions in the future. Tim. To purchase your copy and have it signed, use this button Sandal Insoles Sandals, Straps and Lasting Sandal Socks Platforms Wedges Heel Blocks Covered Heels Finishing Presentation Welt Sewing Threads Sewing the Welt Handsewn Sole Blocking/Crimping Buckles Joggers About the Bespoke Shoemaking Book © Tim Skyrme 2010   Purchase page Link   Purchase page Link