Making a last bottom pattern on a flat last is one of the easiest patterns when it comes to home shoemaking and in are mainly used for one of two purposes:
1. Making insoles for flat shoes
You would use the last bottom pattern to make insoles by placing it over your texon insole board and tracing round. You'd then need to cut out the insole board and cover it with your material / leather of choice. You could also add a piece of foam for extra comfort.
2. Making a full insock for flat shoes
For this purpose, you would trace round the last bottom pattern on to a piece of foam then do the same with your material / leather of choice. You'd then stick the leather to the foam and insert the full insock into your shoe - no need to wrap the leather over the sides of the foam. Full insocks are used mainly in flat and fully closed shoes like derbys and loafers.
In this tutorial, I’ll teach you how to make a last bottom pattern using only a few tools.
You will need:
- A piece of paper
- Masking tape
- A shoemaking last
- A pair of scissors
- A pencil
STEP 1:
Place a long strip of masking tape down the length of your last. Don’t be tempted to wrap the tape over the feather edge of the last, just keep it hanging off.
STEP 2:
Layer strips of masking tape width-ways over the top of the long vertical strip until the whole of the bottom of the last is covered with tape.
STEP 3:
Taking your pencil, rub the lead along the feather edge of the last on top of the masking tape so that you’re left with a rough outline of the bottom of your last.
STEP 4:
Holding on to the vertical strip that you first placed down, pull all of the masking tape off in one piece and place flat onto a piece of paper. You can use your pencil here to smooth it down, avoiding any air pockets.
STEP 5:
Cut out the last bottom shape and check the fit by placing over the bottom of your last.
STEP 6:
Your last bottom pattern is ready for use! Easy right?
learn shoemaking for yourself
I created a free 40-minute online course called 'Introduction to Shoemaking' to show how easy home shoemaking can be and to give you a little taste of what I Can Make Shoes is all about.
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If you are wanting to dive a little deeper into the world of home shoemaking, my online Footwear Masterclass is one of the most popular shoemaking courses in the world!! 🌍 (Casual brag! lol) The course covers how to make shoes from scratch including heels, flats, boots, sneakers, sandals, and more. The thing that really sets this course apart from others is that it's specifically designed for total beginners and requires very little in the way of tools & equipment, there's even a bonus module on how to start your own shoe brand.
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Happy Shoemaking,
Amanda xx
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