An old proverb goes by – good shoes take you good places. In our today’s world, shoes are not used just for the mere protection of your feet. Shoes are also used because they add the finishing touch to all your outfits.
As time increases the craze for shoes has touched an all-time high. From the day when shoes came into the picture, till now it has never been decreased.
They’ve been becoming more and more popular every single day. Shoes are not only of one type. There are ‘n’ number of types of shoes. But broadly it can be classified into two heads
2) Shoes for gents
Many small parts are assembled together to make a shoe. They keep your feet safe and protect them from the bad things that you walk on. Shoes are produced in such a way that you feel comfortable and safe. It covers your feet part as a whole and takes care of it so well.
How are these shoes produced?
They can be explained as the outfit that we wear for our feet. The sole purpose of a shoe is to protect the feet it’s covering. It has become an essential part of our day to day life. Few people use shoes or footwear even inside their house. There are several activities involved in the process of making shoes.
1) The designing
2) The cutting of the upper parts
3) Stitching of the shoe uppers
4) Lasting process
5) Assembling
1) Design department
The design department focuses on the shoe models sketching. They lay out how the shoes are actually going to look and how they have to look after the completion of all the activities in the process.
They make sure it’s attractive and innovative. They include more new features to the shoe that add comfort to them and enhance your experience.
2) The cutting of the upper parts
The production process basically starts with the cutting of the materials that will be required to produce them. They are generally cut by using steel materials. Each part of the shoe needs its separate cutting. They need their own size in the cutting.
Many dye sets are required at this time. After cutting the parts required, the workers carefully organize the stack and the parts of the shoe. After being organized, they send them to the stitching department.
3) The stitching of the upper parts
Once, the shoes are processed and neatly organized, the stitching department comes in to play its part. There are few simple steps involved in this process.
- Every worker is given a unique task to complete. Like, sewing, passing, etc.
- After the assigning of the tasks, the QC staff are instructed to check if there are any problems.
- Then the upper parts are neatly assembled.
- The lining is attached or stuck.
- The sheets of foam for the tongues of the shoes are inserted inside.
Shoe lasting process
After the completion of the stitching process, the upper part of the shoe will have to be attached to the outsole. But, before that, the upper part has to undergo the lasting of the shoe.
This operation gives the shoe its final look. After the last, the upper and the outsole unit can be permanently cemented. After this, all the parts together are assembled and the final steps include packaging and QC.
History of Shoes
Traditionally, shoes were made one by one using hands. A group of cobblers or shoemakers do this job. This shoemaking trade started to grow during the eighteenth and the early nineteenth century. Later in the 19th century, it started to affect industrialization.
Nowadays, the traditional method of making shoes have been suppressed and they are largely being produced in a single go. Earlier in centuries, the one who wanted to get a shoe would reach out to a shoemaker.
Then, his measurements would be taken and a date for the pick of the shoe would be fixed. Shoes were/are/will be a necessity always.
Then, the shoemakers started to produce a whole lot of new products. Shoes for ladies, for gents, boots, sandals, clogs, moccasins. They were all made up using leather, wood, rubber, cloth, jute, etc.
For a long time in history, shoemaking has been a handicraft. It’s a time-consuming process when done using bare hands. There were more than 15 techniques used by the traditional shoe men. During the 1600s, leather shoes came into the picture. It was divided into two main types.
- Turn shoes. This shoe contained one slim sole which was flexible. It was sewed to the upper part.
- The second type of shoe was made with the upper shoe united with the insole. A raised heel was also attached to this shoe.
Shoes are the first things people subconsciously notice. They are not only of good use but also accentuate any outfit.
