Recently I had the chance to pop into the shoe factory Cheaney, based in Northamptonshire. I was luckily enough to get a tour of the factory by one of the owners, William Church. Yes, it was rather spectacular.

The factory specialises in Goodyear Welting, which is an extremely durable method of shoe-making (do look at my most recent GQ article to read a little more)

It takes up to 8 weeks and I’m told up to 200 hand/ hand tool operations to complete one beautiful pair. It seems people don’t understand the artisan work, which goes into a pair of well-made shoes. I went from room to room viewing all the different departments, learning the process from end to end.

The first area I entered was the leather room. What struck me first was the rich smell of leather. At which point I was given the chance to choose the leathers I wanted for the shoes I was having made, a suede penny loafer. (Images to come soon enough). My next stop was the design room, followed by a studio where the cutting of the leather  (“Clicking”)  takes place. The next room along was filled with ladies rigorously stitching the uppers together which is also know as closing. (The upper being the top part of the shoe). When the “upper’ is stitched it is then “drafted” or placed over the chosen plastic formed last, which is used to develop the shape of the shoe.

Following this, I then entered the buzzing main production room of the factory, where the upper and soles are stitched together. This stage in shoe making involves a strip of leather sewn to the bottom of the upper, which will act as the welt. The welt is a strip of leather with a groove created underneath it. This is then sewn through the upper leather to the insole. The shoe  is now more flexible and  it’s easier to remove the welt when repairing without damaging the upper leather. In this way, shoes can be repaired a number of times. Steam is used throughout the lasting process to ensure the leather stays supple.

On the bottom on the shoe welt a cavity is created is filled with soft cork, providing cushioning. Over time as one wears a shoe from this type of production, he/she will notice inside their shoe is an imprint, which is due to the cork. What’s known as a  “shank” is placed in giving the shoe support to the arch of ones foot. The sole and welt are sewn together and the stitch is visible from the outside of the shoe on the rim of the sole. (I’ve done this by hand before which is terribly difficult). A stitch passes through the top of the welt, through the sole and comes out of a small groove. The stitch is known as a “lock” stich, made of waxed threads.

The excess welt is trimmed away and then is beaten flat. This is to help the sole sit squarely on the bottom of the shoe. It is then stained as per the design.

The final room I entered was the finishing shoe room, where the shoes are polished, quality checked and boxed. A great smell of wax polish filled my nose as I strolled around sharing tips with these experienced masters of their craft.  The final end result was an immaculately constructed shoe. People perhaps don’t understand the many different stages every pair of shoes goes through, and the skills which make them.

I tremendously enjoyed my time at the Cheaney factory, British manufacturing is something to be celebrated.

Clicking (cutting the leather).

The uppers are sewn together.

Stitching the upper.

The steam room.

Uppers ready to be lasted.

Lasting

Cork + Shank

Cutting the excess sole from the welted shoe. ( notice plastic is put on the upper to protect it)

Forming the sole shape.

Staining the sole.

Finishing.

Pictures to come of the shoes I ordered soon enough!

Thanks to Cheany and Mr Chruch.

Tagged as: Cheaney, Cheaney Shoes, christian kimber, Kimber Shoes designer, style sage, Style Sage Shoe Blog