The Creation Of A New Shoe

The creation of a new piece of footwear is the outcome of a development process that first and foremost involves the figure of the designer, whose task is to stay one step ahead of popular tastes and trends. The designer establishes and oversees the style of the collections, shapes and determines the look of the footwear, and works to attain the very best results from the skill of the individual craftspeople who carry out the processes that go into a quality shoe. The creative team at Calzaturificio Fratelli Borgioli assesses, interprets and develops all the ideas that come together to create footwear of superlative quality.

pattern-making

The stylistic guidelines go to the pattern-maker, who transfers them directly onto a wooden last, in order to get a real-life notion of how the shoe will look. This step gives a concrete form to the creative team’s idea, and adjustments are made to create balanced proportions and assess the comfort of the shoe. The step also serves to provide all the necessary instructions for completing the shoe with the desired details that will help give it a fashion-conscious look. The design on the last is used to make the paper patterns for cutting the leather.

cutting the vamp

The stylistic guidelines go to the pattern-maker, who transfers them directly onto a wooden last, in order to get a real-life notion of how the shoe will look. This step gives a concrete form to the creative team’s idea, and adjustments are made to create balanced proportions and assess the comfort of the shoe. The step also serves to provide all the necessary instructions for completing the shoe with the desired details that will help give it a fashion-conscious look. The design on the last is used to make the paper patterns for cutting the leather.

closing

Closing is the step of sewing together the various components that make up the vamp and its lining. The individual pieces are first glued together, making it possible to flatten out the overlaid sections before sewing. The closing process also allows reinforcements, made of leather or other materials, to be inserted into the upper at the points subject to the greatest stress, to make the shoe sturdy and comfortable. This long, costly process is what sets high-quality shoes apart, giving them a harmonious, elegant, perfectly finished look.

lasting and making

Lasting and making is the complex process of putting together the individual components of the shoe, and involves a series of steps aimed at making the leather fit perfectly to the last. In lasting, the upper is joined first to the insole and then to the sole, a process we will examine below. Calzaturificio Fratelli Borgioli uses only leather or natural skin insoles to ensure maximum comfort for your feet. Once assembled, the shoe moves on to the finishing stage.

preparation for attaching the sole

Once the upper is mounted on the last and joined to the insole, the part that will house the sole is roughened to allow for a stronger bond. Moreover, to create a uniform surface of contact between the upper and the sole, a cork lining is inserted that not only allows the foot to breathe, but prevents the formation of moisture and makes the shoe feel softer and more flexible when walking.

application of the sole

For outstanding flexibility and greater durability, the soles of Fratelli Borgioli shoes are sewn to the uppers. This is a detail you will find only on high-quality or custom-made shoes.

trimming

The trimming takes place when the shoe is already assembled, and is performed completely by hand, since there is no machine capable of doing it automatically. Our craftspeople trim the sole to the shape best suited to that specific type of footwear. This makes it possible to adapt the sole to different kinds of footwear: elegant, casual, dress, or walking shoes.

finishing the sole

Finishing consists in a series of operations that are carried out at the end of the production cycle. In this process, both the edges and underside of the sole are hand-finished using all-natural stains and waxes. This operation is a lengthy one, between brushing and staining with one or two pigments, but gives the shoe perfect breathability, flexibility and elegance. All of our soles are made of natural leather.

finishing the upper

The final operation, and perhaps the most important one, is finishing the upper. In order to restore the original characteristics of the leather (shine, softness, etc.) that are inevitably altered in making the shoe, the upper is washed with special, neutral detergents and then treated with waxes and natural creams. There are hundreds of kinds of leather, and many different processes for finishing it. Hand-aged shoes require an elaborate finishing process that makes them elegant, sophisticated, and uniquely appealing. The leather can be bleached in certain spots to create a motif along the seams, or for mottled or two-tone effects, fading from black to brown, etc. If you happened to see this stage, you’d find yourself entranced by the skill of our artisans, whose expert hands give each of our shoes its own unique personality.

quality control

Every part of a Fratelli Borgioli shoe is thoroughly inspected before being placed in its special packaging, to make sure it meets the standards of quality and uniqueness that only handcrafted footwear can offer. Our shoes are completely made in Tuscany, and that’s why quality control is an important part of the production cycle, guaranteeing both the article itself and the location where each step of the process took place.