…are for sissies.

Whole-cut oxford in French calf with asymmetric decorative brogue. Extended heel counter for additional ankle support.

Leather insole with additional instep support, heel and metatarsal support.
Rubber midsole and crepe outsole, Cat’s paw wear surface.

Norwegian welt, spinning stitch, double stitch-down construction with outer row additional spinning stitch as well.

I made these.

7-Eyelet wingtip Oxford, English welt construction.
I’m off to Budapest. You kids behave, play nice, and no more interweb slap-fights while I’m gone. O.o
….I like these!

Jodhpur ankle boot, built on boot last (usually built on shoe last form, but I used a boot last to get the toe spring/heel height). Hardtke shrunken bull hide (Azteca), heavily antiqued and burnished. Handmade horse butt welt. Leather toe box. 1 3/4″ Cuban heel.

Horse butt ‘belt’, brass buckle. A bit of a ‘throwback’ enclosure on a throwback boot.

Work boots, brown bull hide vamps and counters with green calf tops. 4 rows of stitching. Don’t ask about the pull tabs…
Full storm welt, leather midsole with heat formed synthetic outsole.

Chukkas in burgundy French Calf.

Your (sometimes) humble cordwainer.
Next week: jodhpur boots and a pair of tall top piratey pirate boots.
Chukka
(Watch yo mouth!)

3 eyelet Chukka in black patent leather with red stitching.


Full welt on horsebutt, spinning stitch with reverse color spinning stitch on leather midsole.

Italian leather outsole shaped by a broken piece of glass and sandpaper, heel lift stacked by hand, full peg outsole construction.
Total time invested: 2 weeks.
I now leave you to your regularly scheduled programs.

American Saddle Oxford.

Navy kip and cordovan kip.

These soles have seen some wear today.
Men’s tri-color derby:

More brogueing than the legal limit. ;D

Closed!
I took in the last three orders I will be able to reasonably fulfill for 2009-2010, that is, until further notice. One pair of men’s dress shoes, French calf; one pair women’s boots with tooled tops (and fantasy art, w00t!); and one pair men’s loafers, alligator — that pushed me into mid-next year with my March apprenticeship. Seeing as I have a PCS (moving) some time in August/September, desination: unkown, I can’t reasonably predict when I will have my household goods and therefore ’shop’ back. It could be less than a month if Liz gets stationed stateside, it could be early ‘11 if we she gets stationed overseas— there is also the possibility of her getting an unaccompanied tour—which means no shipping of household goods…and therefore no delay on when I can start taking public orders (uh, yay?).
I am working diligently on existing clients’ orders. I have patterns graded and lasts picked out for all but today’s orders. I simply cannot sacrifice craftsmanship for expediency — this is the bespoke business, excellence takes time.

-Jeff