Disclaimer: This post contains a very old attempt at shoemaking, during the very beginning of my journey. I really didn’t know what I was doing at this time, and the post is left online for archive purposes only. Please do not “learn” anything from it, as the post is certainly riddled with mistakes. It’s just a documentation on some of my thoughts as a beginner in this venture. For a more updated view of my shoemaking, please see my latest posts instead.
It’s been close to 500 years since the Stockholm bloodbath. In solemn remembrance of this gruesome event, I have made these shoes.
“Stockholm” is a hand sewn, hand welted, burgundy wholecut. Vibram stick-on rubber soles make the shoes suitable for november strolls across blood-soaked cobblestone.
Only hand-held tools were used in production. This post is a display of the finished shoes – in Part 1 and Part 2 I describe how they were made.
Construction: handmade with hand-held tools, English welted
Last: Springline, Ref 977, wood, scoop and screw, size UK 10F
Uppers: 3-4 oz chrome tanned madras printed calf side
Lining: 2 oz vegetable tanned crust baby calf
Insoles: 12-13 oz vegetable tanned crust calf butt
Sockliner: 4 oz vegetable tanned crust calf side
Outsoles: 12-13 oz vegetable tanned crust calf butt
Stick-on soles: Vibram 1.8 mm
Toe stiffeners: 4 oz vegetable tanned crust calf side
Heel stiffeners: 5 oz latigo tanned calf shoulder
Rand/welt combo piece: 5 oz vegetable tanned crust shoulder
Shank: Plastic
Heel lifts: 12-13 oz vegetable tanned crust calf butt + 5 oz vegetable tanned crust shoulder
Top lifts: vegetable tanned (1/4 rubber) J. Rendenbach
All leather used is 1st grade.
I made a slight fiddleback waist for decoration, and kept the bottoms black:
The sole stitch was made with 1 mm waxed polyester thread in burgundy:
Here’s Stockholm out and about:
I accidentally cut a finger while working on the outsoles, and only noticed it because a part of the outsole became spotted red. I did not mean for it to happen, but as fate would have it, my blood is in these shoes.
Secret Cobbler 
Hello
Nice work as usual…
I hope your finger is all right. Most of my shoes have some blood too… I think that’s part of the handmade process 😁
I noticed that you have only made Oxford shoes so far. Is it by choice ? Do you plan to make derbies, boots or loafers ?
By the way, I am finishing a new pair (penny loafers), and will post the related articles in a few days.
Best regards
Antoine
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Too kind, as usual – thank you Antoine! My finger was OK within two minutes, so there’s no need to worry. 😉
I think I have mainly made oxfords because they *are* my favorite model – but they are also the type of shoe that Andrew Wrigley made in his youtube series (which is what got me started in the first place). I would really like to make loafers and boots (especially jodhpurs and balmorals), as well as give derbies an honest attempt. Just saw your loafers – very nice work!
Kind regards / R
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