How Bespoke Shoe Lasts are Made | By Dominic Casey 

Love to see people exploring the magnificent world of bespoke tailoring and shoe making. The difference between bespoke and off the rack is night and day. Only problem is, once you've experienced that difference, you'll never go back!

Dear Kirby, please do a similar video in documenting behind the scene working process of a bespoke suit. There are lack of exposure in the hand work and construction of a bespoke garment. Such a thorough video like your typical ones surely will educate a lot of viewers. Thanks

I need to begin to start thinking about watching this video.

Thank you Kirby for the beautiful and exquisite work of art!

I'm starting to think about beginning to consider imagining making my own shoes.

Thank you so much, Mr. Allison! This is the most important journey, next to series with Lee Miller. I've seen some vids about shoemaking but lastmaking vids are rarity.

If i was ever lucky enough to have him make me a pair of shoes, i'd never ask 'how much' ... Awesome video. People not really in the know often say, well what's the difference from a few dollar pair of chain store shoes and bespoke. Amazing differences,..

referring to this videos picture composition...beautiful background choice in the part outside at the end and your outfits look nice together and nicely contrasting.

Such an incredible process. I could never do it which makes me appreciate it so much more

was thinking of using 3d scanning for videogames to make a digital last for my self then make a Gerber file to 3d print it. so basically stand on a plate as a camera rotates around your foot and then in software make the last shape to lower the polygon count. you can sculpt it like clay in software then print a hollow shell last to design the shoe as needed. also, you could photo scan the paper patterns you make to save them for later adjustments.

I'm betting this has been asked before, but why not just pour a mold/cast of your foot and get a near exact last made?

Thank you Kirby

Very interesting to be able to watch Love the attention to detail

Why do I needed to know all this? Weird times bro... But it's awesome 😍

Aren’t there technology to do that using CNC like machines or 3D printing? Just asking.... it would be great...

Another excellent video!

Quite a work of art! While I appreciate the skill and labour involved correlates to the cost, one wonders if there aren't more efficient methods? Such as a foot casting or computer controlled lasar measurement and last cutout. Certainly not as Old World artisan but may slide price down to grasp of middle class.

Love this video. Thanks to both of you. I am a professional leather worker who started forty years ago. I’ve done almost no shoe work, but that is changing. I have a pair of oversized lasts that I plan to fit to my feet. This presentation is helpful. Please allow me on comment on use of the language. The word “actually” has no meaning and adds nothing to any sentence. It is so abused in this video that I found it difficult to keep listening. I urge both of you to repeat some of the sentences you used here without that word. You will discover that you have said the same thing but more cleanly and efficiently. All the best, James H. North Carolina

Love your shows. Really entertaining and informative. Keep up the great work Kirby.👍👍👍

Actually good

Bravo maestro!!

Does anyone know how long these skills have been around? Would shoes that fitted like this have been made for medieval monarchs?

fantastic.

How do you get the lasts out of the shoes when finished?

I’ll post the video documenting the creation of my bespoke underpants.

creative thinking of craftmanship, more information and #basicskilldevelopment of videos please

Jealous in the same extreme. I wear a kafo on in leg which is badly fitted in the foot area causing agonising pain My orthotist had eventually agreed to allow nhs shoes to be provided which basically do not fit either foot. Sadly I cannot afford bespoke footwear and never realized such intricate measuring could be taken hi now feel even more "let down " by the "system"

The Last Comes First

Lasers and CNC

Why not just make a plaster cast of each foot?

These two keep talking over one another

FYI = @30:29 the bottom right corner popup tickler is mis-spelled "PLEASE SUSBSCRIBE"

Surely he could make the left shoe to fit his size 9.5 instead of a 10. Why pay for bespoke shoes when only one fits?

Never knew Captain Jack Sparrow made shoes. 🧐

How the lasts work? Pull them apart to show how they work.

It's a bit ridiculous, I'd like to see your shoes on and the opinion of the customers, that's essential to know how you work.

This guy so looks the part 😂

i dont want to sound like a hater, but why not invest in a 3d printer - scan his foot and print it in plastic! it will save a lot of time!

I repair my shoes.

Nice suit but it looks really out of place in that workshop.

It’s a shame that with the technology revolution that this will soon be a lost skill.... 3D printing lasts from scans already exist... soon that will be the norm

Great video from you both, but very very long winded. Talking about building the shape of the heel for few minutes, c'mon get on with it. Unusual for a Brit. Even Kirby was bored.

just chop his legs off and make your shoes...

According to hugo jacomet this is made-to-measure and not bespoke. Hmm

Why do you keep your hands in your pockets while talking? This is a sign of disrespect.

Wouldn't bespoke start with a block of wood, not a last blank? This is just customization.

That shoemaker actually messed up on the last. Trying really hard to cover it up. Also kirby realises it.

Dominic: “nobody would ever want a shoe made out of a shape like that.” Allen Edmonds: “hold my beer....” 😂

I love watching a skilled craftsman perform his trade.

This is amazing. I can't wait to purchase my own bespoke shoes in the future. Are you going to continue the video with fitting and final product?

Such a pleasure to watch, he is a true artisan, thank you Kirby.

should be called last adjusting

This was a fantastic video. You're like Mister Rogers for adult men who like to dress well. You show us amazing behind the scenes content on how the clothing is made. Thank you. You also have great theme music.

Must say, your interviewing style and directing style is fantastic Kirby. I do love that you have no ego, and manage to curbe the urge to interrupt and really let your guest shine. I also like when you follow up with questions for more details. Keep the great videos coming, theese are becoming my favorite channel.

Aha. He's a lefty craftsmen. I love to see lefties at work, b/c the impression seems to be that things are harder for us, but as you can see, he's not struggling at all. The ratio of lefties to right handed folk is actually changing. There are more lefties today than 50 years ago, b/c the taboo has diminished.

this is a fantastic skill, but why wouldnt a type of casting or 3D printing produce a more accurate last?

Had a moment when he said, because of the thickness of the pencil 0.0. such craftsmanship. EDIT: now I have to be aware of the muscles running through here up to the cone of your foot........ I cannot fathom this level of professionalism

I don’t understand how the intended viewer for something as interesting and artisan as this is over-written by this god-awful repetitive music. Can we just have silence and listen to what the craftsman is saying? If not, then how about some good classical music rather than this three note endless half-wit repetition?

This is absolutely amazing. Thank you Mr. Allison for bringing this sort of content to us all. I know i will never be able to get a bespoke shoe but I can appreciate the craftsmanship involved.

This is some fine craftmanship. Something I fear will eventually die out

Can a shoe last be made with a 3D printer? Grateful Grandpa

Hello, I am Rachid from Morocco. I have 18 years of experience dealing with Shoelast. I am looking for factories that need a workforce in this field.

Finally! I was waiting for the second part of this series, was wondering if there was an issue!

That Kirby is really trying way to hard, he looks so uncomfortable and unnatural, , just putting your hands in your pockets doesn't make you gentlemen, he will never be bespoke, he just doesn't has it in him... cringing...

Couldn’t the last be made to the exact specs the modern way; using a laser mapping of the foot and a 3D printer?

Why not just wear sandals? I mean, you cannot get more comfortable than that.

Nice video of show and tell. Too much 'tell' however.

What a load of BS.....buy a standard last and make minor adjustments

Amazing artisan craftsmanship..very classy looking last!

Amazing stuff. A master at work

is it suposed to be that much extra space in the front inside? also why is Kirby so awkward here?

do the lasts need to be kept in a humidity controlled environment?

Absolutely beautiful 👌🏼

I would love to be his apprentice

Bravo maestro!!

спасиба . на учите мне . тоже

Can you explained with top side and front view x ray of the person foot and explained what you are saying to shape the last. Also 3 d reconstruction of the foot in one cycle of human step where human transfer their body weight through heal strike phase swing phase and toe off phase! The beast is no shoes but foot were does why prevent foot get contamination from the ground surface ,moor boot for example is beast design for walking.

It´s not a first time i´ve noticed how Kirby gives hand to people for handshake. He holds it for himself. People must reach for his hand or to come closer. It´s disrespectful.

Rewatching this, and it might be the least Kirby has talked in a video ever.

I was waiting for Kirby to start singing “Would you be my neighbor”! Brilliant! Cheers mates!!

Can a last be made from a 3D printer? It seems like a better way to make it unless there is something that I am not thinking of. Grateful Grandpa

Every time Dominic shook Kirby's hand, Kirby's hand turned red. That is sure a firm handshake!

Seen brands like samual windsor shoes handmade goodyear welted Italian leather but so cheap because there made in India but do you get the quality anyone tried them

Kirby can you do a video on hats about them styles of hats etc or am I the only one who wears a hat these days you have done shoes gloves Suits etc but not mentioned hats

I am glad to have found this channel. Amazing to see the bespoke process!

This is simple, but also complicated. I had no idea how much went into making a shoe form for the foot.

All leather shoes used to be pretty easy to get. They seem to have vanished from the stores. I have allergies that make cloth and foam in the shoes not really work for me. So I've been trying to learn how to make my own shoes as I can't buy them anymore. I'm still trying to figure out how he gets a block of wood that large without splitting. I've got mostly Oak and very few pine trees to work with. He says there's no curves with what his starting with. As an engineer, there are plenty of curves with what he started with. As a tutorial, there is an enormous amount of information missing from this video. I will keep looking and hope that I eventually figure out how to make decent shoes. I'm tired of wearing those plastic clog things. I suppose at least I'm not allergic to them after I air them out out for a year or so.

Fantastic video. Can you advise me, What wood to use? Maple is expensive and not easy to get.

How about 3d scanning the foot and 3d printing the model?

That waist coat he is wearing in this video needs work! Look at the rolls in it.

Thank you for the very interesting video, Kirby. My question is, what type of wood is used for such shoe lasts? Are there different types of wood that shoemakers choose from, or is there an "industry standard" that all shoemakers use? I have a feeling that part of this decision depends on the wood's rings; it's probably visually easier to shape the last if the wood has very distinctive rings.

I didn't understand why he would make both a size 10 when the left is 9½, surely that defeats the purpose of bespoke.

Does anyone know what tool he is using in 8:12

Why not use a mold? rubber or gypsy

Marvelously interesting

haha your name is kirby

What's song name?

Truly an artist.

спасибо .

this is actually interesting. i would like to know how to get materials from you, like good polish, lasts and some other items like that