Use Minimum Nails in Lasting of the Shoe Toe

You must know that there are different approaches to the lasting process. Each approach depends on the materials you work within shoemaking and it depends on the shoe type as well.

That’s is why in different courses of my 1 Year Shoemaking Pro I teach all these approaches.

Now, to answer to the main question of this post: Why to use minimum  nails in lasting of the shoe toe?- I need to show you different ways of shoe molding.

So you will understand why in certain ways you should use only few nails in lasting of the shoe toe and why in other situations you will last with many nails, using a different approach.

Of course, all the examples below are only a short demonstration that will not teach you the full and  proper lasting process but it will give you a general comprehension about this important process in shoe making.

It will show you how materials and shoe types influence the lasting process.

And these are only 3 examples, there are much more...

So, just imagine how BIG is the world of shoemaking, BEAUTIFUL and required a good PRACTICE!

1.The lasting process of working with celastic material

Celastic material is a non-woven chemical sheet activated with solvent. It used to make stiffeners from. I already talked about working with this material in lasting, so you can read this post “How to Make the Pattern for Toe Puffs” if you missed it.

Now, to last the shoe toe working with celastic toe puff, you should work with many nails to avoid the creation of folds on the toe shape of your shoes.

So as the first thing in this step of the lasting process, you need to last the lining.

You need to grab each tiny fold of the lining and attach it to the insole surface. That’s is why here you will use many many nails.

The surface of the lining in the toe area of your shoe must be smooth to place on it the celastic toe puff.

If you want to learn how we work with this material in shoemaking, you must read this article:"How to Make the Pattern for Toe Puffs?"

To last this toe puff you will need to use also many nails to avoid here the creation of folds as well.

There are few approaches in working with celastic toe puff and one of them is to use the leather strap.  You will need to stretch it over the toe puff to spread all folds.

As you see in the image, to keep this strap you will need to use many nails as well.

2. Lasting of the one cut Oxford shoe upper

As I told you at the beginning of this shoemaking post there are certain shoe types where you need to take into your account the construction of the upper during the lasting process.

As a good example, I took the One cut oxford shoes. It has straight one cut upper that doesn’t have the curved line in the center that shoe last has.

So to last this upper you will need first to shape the front upper part according to the shoe last instep shape.

To work easier in my One cut oxford shoes course I teach that first, you need to shape the upper and then to move on to the proper lasting.

To shape it, you will need to place it on the last and pull the edges of the ankle boot in different directions as we do in the lasting process but without the banding of the nails and without the attaching  the edges to the insole.

 That’s I call it “pre-lasting”. After the upper will have the right shape (a same shape that shoe last has) you will last it properly till the end.

There are few shoe types that require “pre-lasting”

Note: all images were taken from my 1 Year Online Shoemaking Program

3. Lasting of the toe in welted construction.

In shoes, with welted construction, there are few approaches of lasting as well.

Here I will talk with you about one of the possible ways of shoe toe lasting I use in my work.

Because in welted shoes the main material to make stiffeners from is, the vegetable tanned leather, you will not need to use many nails in lasting of the shoe toe. This is exactly what we teach in the English Wewlted Men's Oxford Shoe Course.

Why?

The answer you will find in the shoe making tutorial at the begining of this article. Check this directory:"How to make shoes-Lasting process" if you want to know more about lasting and everything related to it.