The proof is in the pudding

Inner Foot

 My feet aren't getting bigger over the years the shoes are getting smaller. In high school I wore a size 7 no problem sometimes a 6.5 or a 6 is I was feeling masochist. I put some weight on an my feet spread a little so my shoe size kept on ticking up and up and up until I was averaging a 9.5. Well with making my own shoes my shoe size is dropping again. This last prototype I made was a 8C from a last made in 1958. Too big though once made with a lining and stiffeners and a cushy insole will be perfect. 

Outside Foot

The pictures show the process of making a test fit prototype from that last. I make it in just a single 3oz leather and a cardboard sole. Normally I wouldn't be so fancy but took this as an opportunity to practice some of my skills including lasting and finishing.

The first photos show the upper which has been simply finished with zigzag back seam with the edges butted together and no seam allowance lasted over a cardboard midsole and held in place with handtacks. 

The upper is lasted in a certain order to provide the best results and then left to sit a while. The tacks then are removed a few at a time and the upper is glued to the midsole using cement. I use Master All Purpose All Clear Cement.

Once that is dry you trim the leather back, skive down any wrinkles. I used a french edge skiver for the big wrinkles and lightly sanded with a rotary tool. This evens down things and also provides a good surface for gluing.

Once at that point I stuck on a cardboard sole made out of cardboard. I used the same pattern as the midsole so it doesn't quite cover as much as it should if it were a real sole. The sole should be about 1/8" bigger all round to accomodate the lasting allowance. Similar to turn of cloth in tailoring.

I also made a little stacked heel out of cardboard 3/16" thick by just gluing about 5 pieces together and cutting a heel shape and sticking it on and then sanding round.

The voila a prototype shoe that passes muster. Now onto the real thing.