Loake factory trip part 2

Loake factory trip part 2

Loake Factory trip.

 

Also see Loake factory trip part 1

The last is removed from the shoe. It has a special joint in the middle which allows it to break out of the shoe.

The heels are attached with this pneumatic nail gun machine.

You can tell that’s not going to fall apart!

The sole is trimmed again using blades rotating at high speed.

Close up of the blade.

Edges of the soles are filed with sand paper.

Sides are tanned to bring out the detail, or sealed with heated wax. You can barely see the flame of the burner heating the metal.

Polishing with wax seals off any pores in the leather and gives the edge a smooth finish.

The bottom of the sole is tanned to add colour to the leather and bring out the texture.

The bottom of the sole is polished adding glossy finish to the sole.

A pattern and extra tanning are added around the edge of the sole.

A rotating blunt blade is used to wear off the plastic around the sole while keeping the leather in tact.

Extra details are added and the sole is stamped with the name of the welt.

The shoes are passed over to the quality control department.

If the contstruction is all in tact, some designs are ready to be despatched while Loake 1880 styles continue their journey to another department where the uppers are polished and burnished.

Water based paint is added to bring out the brogue detailing.

The shoes are polished to allow the paint to settle and soak into the edges of the leather.

Extra detail is added with heat gun.

Hand finishing adds that unique touch to the shoes, and each pair is unique.

The shoes are ready to be sent out to their future owners.

Special thanks to Loake team for showing us around. They are all very skilled at what they do. As you can see, the shoes are very good value for money considering the amount of work involved in making each pair. Loake offer a full repair service which involves renewing the upper and resoling and can be carried out 2 to 3 times if the uppers are looked after.

Click here to see Loake shoes available from The Golden Boot



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