PROCESS
MADE IN MELBOURNE, WITH LOVE FROM LONDON. EVERY PAIR OF TWO FIVE SHOES IS HANDMADE USING A MIXTURE OF CORDWAINING TECHNIQUES AT OUR STUDIO IN COBURG NORTH. YOU CAN DO A LOT IN TWO WEEKS, LIKE BRING AN IDEA TO LIFE, AND THAT’S ROUGHLY HOW LONG IT TAKES TO MAKE EACH PAIR. SCROLL THROUGH THE GALLERY BELOW FOR A SNEAK(ER) PEEK AT OUR PROCESS.
HI, MY NAME IS TIM AND THIS IS BEANS AND WELCOME TO OUR TWO FIVE WORKSHP.
OUR WORKSHOP IS BASED IN COBURG NORTH. OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS I HAVE SOURCED AND HUNTED DOWN SECOND HAND MACHINERY. WITH EVERY MACHINE CAME A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF PAST SHOE MAKERS IN MELBOURNE
THE START OF THE SHOE MAKING PROCESS STARTS WITH THE LAST. THE LAST IS A PLASTIC OR WOODEN MOULD THAT GIVES THE SHOE ITS SHAPE
THIS IS THE LAST FOR THE SIX STITCH IT IS A UNQUIE SHAPED LAST WITH A VERY HIGH TOE BOX GIVING THE SIX STITCH ITS ICON SHAPE AND LOOK. THESE WERE SOURCED SECOND HAND AND I FEEL IN LOVE WITH ITS BOLD FORM. WE HAVE RECENTLY DEVELOPED NEW LASTS CREATING A MORE INCLUSIVE SIZE RANGE
USING OUR PAPER PATTERNS WE PLACE THEM OVER THE LEATHER TO FIND THE BEST PART OF THE LEATHER HIDE FOR THE SHOES.
ONCE THE LEATHER IS CUT OUT WE MATCH IT UP WITH THE LINING
THE LINING AND LEATHER ARE THEN GLUED TOGETHER
USING A SILVER PEN WE TRACE AROUND THE PATTERN.
EACH PANEL IS HAND CUT AND PUNCHED.
THEN WE PAINT THE LEATHER EDGES.
EACH EYLET IS PUNCHED OUT AND PRESSED.
WE THEN HAND STITCH ALL THE PANELS TOGETHER
ONCE ALL THE PANELS ARE SEWN TOGETHER THE UPPER HAS TAKEN ITS FORM AND WE NEED TO MOULD IT AROUND THE LAST
WE HAND LAST THE UPPER AROUND THE LAST USING METAL PLIARS TO PULL AND TACK THE UPPER TO THE INSOLE BOARD WITH SMALL NAILS
ONCE THE SHOES IS LASTED WE WOULD USE THIS MACHINE HERE "THE SOLE PRESS" TO ATTACH THE SOLE OF THE SHOE TO THE UPPER
THIS IS WHAT THE SHOE LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT HAS BEEN LASTED AND SOLED. TAKING ITS SHAPE AND FORM FROM THE LAST
TO FINISH UP WE SNAP THE LASTS IN HALF TO RELEASE THE FINISHED SHOE