Shoe lasting construction

 

Shoe lasting Construction

Once you have a new shoe designed you need to learn what shoe lasting or construction technique is right for your shoe. “Shoe lasting” is the shoe making operation that sets the final shape of a shoe and holds it in place so that the outsole can be permanently attached. The ideal shoe pattern fits the last tightly. 

The shoe lasting type you select depends on a few factors. Mainly, the shoe upper material, the required stiffness of the finished shoe and price. The most common are slip lasting, Stroble lasting, California lasting, combination lasting and board lasting. 

Slip lasting is used to make the most flexible shoes. This is often used to make lightweight running or racing shoes. Slip lasting can also be called moccasin type shoe construction. The shoes upper material, usually mesh and polyester, are left long and patterned to meet in the middle of the shoe. Once the sides are joined, the upper will be steam-heated and the last slipped in with the shoe being laced up tight. The upper is then cooled to tighten the upper before the bottom is attached. 

Stroble or California lasting is the most common shoe construction for casual and athletic shoes. Once the upper is complete a “sock” or bottom material is added to “close” the upper. The material is non-stretch and is marked so that the assembler can keep the upper straight on the last. The upper is heated and slipped on it and cooled to make the material tight. This shoe construction is used in almost every sport shoe. 

The combination last is used to ensure the toe of a shoe is correctly formed to the last. For a shoe with a smooth solid toe-cap the Stroble sock may be attached to the inner lining and a lasting skirt may be left on the toe cap pattern part. Once, the upper is lasted, a second machine operation is used to toe pattern part down tight. This shoe construction is often used on light hiking boots and basketball shoes with smooth leather toe tips. 

Board lasting is a very common process and used to make all types of militaries, hunting and hiking boots or any shoe requiring a stiffer bottom, say steel toes shoes. The open upper is placed into a lasting machine that grips the upper and pulls it down onto the last. The last has been prepared with a paper board or a plastic lasting board. In one operation, the lasting machine pulls the upper tight around the last and injects glue between the upper and the lasting board. A heel lasting machine and some hand pulling will complete the operation before the outsole is attached. Handmade shoes are almost always board lasted by hand. 

There are many other shoe construction styles for fashion shoes and heavy boots which include Blake/Rapid construction, Goodyear welt construction, Norwegian storm construction, Stitch down construction, Bologna construction. We will cover these in detail in another article. You can learn how to make shoes with these constructions here.