MANUFACTURE AND ASSEMBLY OF A SHOE, CHELSEA BOOTS TINNSON AND OTHERS…

I've read quite a few things about the shoe lately that make me want to react. When I decided to focus on a single product, the chelsea boots, one of the first decisions concerned the sole. What material, what assembly? I chose an all-leather sole. Why? Because I want a thin shoe. As I explained elsewhere, the silhouette of my client is what matters most to me. The narrow pants end in the narrow boots and the thickness of the sole plays a role. I don't want it too thick. Furthermore, I want boots close to the foot, light, soft, flexible which after a few months will envelop the foot in perfect comfort. The TiNNSON boots are designed for this proximity to the foot. That's comfort. If I use a thick sole it will have to be done and the risk is high of never making it really flexible. I remember buying a pair of double loop Lobbs. I never managed to overcome his rigidity. What good is having an indestructible sole if you can't wear it in comfort and carelessness? If I use a material other than leather for the sole, I can no longer reach the level of quality/performance required. If I use rubber or foam I immediately need more thickness and I compromise the silhouette. Rubber (or polyurethane…) is robust but heavy. The foam is light and flexible but fragile. Leather is the best solution. Why I chose the Blake mount? Obviously the shoe lover is always tempted by the Goodyear which is a bit like the Holy Grail of shoes, historically. The Goodyear is super strong but it requires thickness and it makes the shoe stiff. I made prototypes in Goodyear and it's final. Certainly the Goodyear also guarantees insulation, especially when it rains. But if you spend several hours in the pouring rain, the water will cause damage to your shoe through the upper and even if the sole is perfectly waterproof (not easy to achieve, believe me) it is not recommended. You can have an indestructible sole but if the leather of your upper is not perfect? You really have to find a balance in the design and in the use of materials. My advice to TiNNSON customers: you have a rubber pad fitted, you protect your leather sole and when the pad is worn out, you replace it every year. So you can keep your boots in a very good condition for a long time. As you can see it is a question of philosophy. My philosophy is the balance between quality, comfort and elegance. I'm not looking to make an academic boot. I want the best compromise. And lasting satisfaction. I will talk about upper leather in a future article.