Shoemaking Project: Neon Pink Platform Derby Shoes

After feeling stagnant and overwhelmed by the thought of making more complex shoes, I plunged myself into making these neon pink leather derby shoes. I may have been day dreaming about my holiday in Tokyo last year... Getting started was the most difficult part of the process. After attending Shoe School for 5 days in Wellington (a basic introduction) and reading chapters of 'Bespoke Shoemaking' by Tim Skyrme (an advanced textbook), I was having trouble putting all the pieces together. I felt I needed something in between. I found the online shoemaking course for derby shoes from 'I Can Make Shoes', a shoemaking school based in London. The tutorial is very simple and easy to follow and includes excellent photographs and Youtube videos. I was able to follow along and supplement the course with knowledge and techniques from both Shoe School and Bespoke Shoemaking.

I have mixed feelings about these shoes. Some things went really well but I also made plenty of mistakes. Given that these are the first more advanced shoes I've made by myself and I used very basic tools such as my homemade sewing machine, a craft knife and sandpaper, it was a good effort. 

Next time I'd like to alter the pattern by lengthening the shoe tongue and underlays. The underlays should be skived down more for a smoother finish. The lasting isn't too bad considering the round upturned toe of the last and the inflexibility of the neon pink leather (not the easiest combination to start with) but the lining definitely could have done with being a bit tighter. There is too much bulk around the eyelets and of course the EVA foam platform could be smoother and more even.

The biggest success for me is the fit of the shoes are perfect. I initally thought my last was wide enough for my feet but after reading Tim's book I realised the feather edge of the last didn't quite meet the tread line on my outer toes so I built up my lasts a little with Milliput (a tip from Instagram which also came from I Can Make Shoes). This was easy and inexpensive to do and I plan to modify my other lasts in the same way.

I think the balance of the shoes are good too. I measured my lasts and worked out that the ideal heel height is 4 cm. With this in mind and after getting frustrated chipping away at small pieces of EVA foam, I went back to Texon and purchased angles pieces of EVA foam that are 2cm on one side and 1cm on the other. By layering these I built a platform that is 8cm on the heel and 4cm on the front. Initially the shoes weren't very easy to walk in due to the inflexibility of the sole, so I sanded down the front of the toe to increase the toe spring (as suggested by Bespoke Shoemaking) to make it easier to rock forwards during walking.

In case you're wondering, this retina-burning neon pink leather and lining was purchased in Leffler Leather on my recent trip to Melbourne. They took me about a week to complete. As much as I love platforms, I have had trouble buying or bending a metal shank to a curve that fits the shape of the lasts and so I chose to make a wedge heel. Fortunately, I have since found some and I'm already planning my next pair.