I offer several shoe contruction choices for my custom handmade shoes & boots, including cement/glue, McKay, machine stitchdown, fancy stitchdown, handsewn welt with machine outsole stitch, fully handsewn welt construction with some options, handsewn stormwelt construction. Below are photo examples to help better explain what each of these terms mean. I'm starting with the least labor-intensive.
Cement/Glue construction : the simplest of methods, the sole is glued to the upper. Here the sole is left its natural leather color and there is a thin layer of black traction rubber that can be easily replaced and repaired. McKay chainstitch through the insole to the sole is sometimes an addition, but not in shoes like these that also have a small front platform.
Below, Stitchdown construction by hand-crank machine: this is a strong construction method where the upper material is pressed down and out, and then stitched on my hand crank Frobana machine to the leather midsole. The example is in patent leather with leather midsole dyed black, and with a traction lug outsole.
Stitchdown by hand, with decorative braided thread: accomplishing this stitch by hand allows for adding in extra colors for a braided and very noticeable handsewn stitch. I love this method, it's beautiful and fun to do. I also use this stitch on handsewn welted and/or storm welt construction. Here the sole is dyed black with a thin layer of traction rubber added.
Next method of construction: handsewn welted with a machine stitched outsole. This method looks like a 'double sole' as the welt is a strip of thick leather that is sewn to the upper leather via a channel I carve in the leather insole. This inseam stitch is done by hand, using a curved awl. Here the welt and sole leather is left undyed, in its natural vegetable tan color that will darken with age and regular polishing. A thicker-rubber-but-not-lug-sole is added for traction.
Handsewn welt construction with handsewn sole. A traditional choice for those interested in keeping all of our shoemaking traditions alive! The shoes below show the stitching in contrast to the welt and sole.
Process photo of my inseaming. Here you see the insole with channel and reinforcement stitching at the toe (yellow and black thread), upper and lining (black leather and merino shearling) and the leather welt before the sole is added.
Again, the inseaming portion of handsewn welt construction: I use fishing line as needles.
Below, the leather sole is on and prepped for being stitched by hand with a channel cut and peeled back in the sole layer. The next stitch connects the welt to the sole and is visible, unlike the above inseam stitch.
Here's the that visible hand stitch from the welt to the sole. Holes pre-punched by hand via my thinner awl.
Storm welt construction: the leather welt is fully visible, creating a strong barrier around the shoe. You can see two rows of stitching, one connects the insole, upper, and welt, the other connects the welt to the sole. Lots of options here for dyed or undyed welts, colorful braided thread or plain.
The end! Not really. Options are endless: below are highly decorated stitchdown boots with two rows of braided stitching, one in natural and one in brown.
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