Shoe Inseaming Styles

techniques and variations

Shoemakers vary widely in how they build leather insoles and sew those insoles to midsoles and outsoles by hand. This page outlines different techniques that I have seen, with links to examples.

Techniques

Feather

No Feather
- Role Club Engineer Boots
- Steve Doudaklian Justin Elephant-Skin Boots
Flat Feather
Beveled Feather
- Lisa Sorrell Western Boots
- Ibrahim Demir Black Oxfords

Anchor

Split Rib
- Role Club Engineer Boots
Holdfast
- Stitch Groover
  - Lisa Sorrell Western Boots
- Gouged Channel
- Machine Channeled
  - White’s Drifter
- Slit
  - Steve Doudaklian Justin Elephant-Skin Boots
Straight Through
- IBEX
- George Koleff

Piercing

Piercing Timing
- Piercing in Advance
- Piercing as They Go
  - IBEX
  - White’s Drifter
Piercing Direction
- Piercing Inside Out
- Piercing Outside In
Piercing Technique
- Piercing Straight
  - Lisa Sorrell Western Boots
- Wriggling Awl

Stitching

Lockstitch
Saddle Stitch
- Simple Saddle Stitch
- Double-Looped Saddle Stitch
- Norvegese Stitch
  - Paul Parkman Wingtips
- Knotted Saddle Stitch
Needles
- Boar Bristles
- Wire Bristles
  - White’s Drifter
  - Carréducker Learning Video
- Curved Needles
- Straight Needles
  - Paul Parkman Wingtips
Needle Technique
- Both Needles in the Hole at Once
  - Marcell Mrsan Welting Tutorial
  - Marcell Mrsan How to Make a Shoe
- One Needle in the Hole at a Time
  - Marcell Mrsan How to Make a Shoe
Reinforcement
- Gimp Inside Toes

Examples

Carréducker Learning Video

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=1yoN0Nlx8Gs
Techniques	Flat Feather Gouged Channel Piercing in Advance Piercing Inside Out Wire Bristles Wriggling Awl

Ibrahim Demir Black Oxfords

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=IG02Iwl2kt4
Techniques	Beveled Feather Curved Needles Gouged Channel Piercing in Advance Piercing Inside Out Simple Saddle Stitch Wriggling Awl

Steve Doudaklian Justin Elephant-Skin Boots

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=OgHy9ymZxbY
Techniques	Lockstitch No Feather Piercing in Advance Piercing Inside Out Piercing Outside In Slit Wriggling Awl
Notes	Cuts the feather freehand with a utility knife. Pre-pierces holes in the holdfast from the inside out, but pierces holes through the upper from the outside in.

IBEX

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=ir1zN66ZrB4&t=2m39s youtube.com/watch?v=ir1zN66ZrB4&t=3m10s
Techniques	Piercing as They Go Piercing Inside Out Straight Through
Notes	Can’t tell if the edge of the insole is angled or straight.

George Koleff

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=bNgWrQLZrvY youtube.com/watch?v=FAH_-wzoA68
Techniques	Piercing Outside In Straight Through
Notes	Can't actually see if there's a feather edge. The video starts with the upper lasted. He's not stitching any welt. Unclear what construction.

Kustom Kraft Red Ankle Boots

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=cJUIP9Pf7uA
Techniques	Flat Feather Gouged Channel Piercing in Advance Piercing Inside Out Wriggling Awl
Notes	Finishes gouged channel with glass scraper.

Kustom Kraft Tall Brown Boots

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=FJkkoUC8jVA
Techniques	Flat Feather Gouged Channel Piercing in Advance Piercing Inside Out Simple Saddle Stitch Wriggling Awl
Notes	Finishes gouged channel with glass scraper.

Marcell Mrsan How to Make a Shoe

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=6LsE4nsEOJk youtube.com/watch?v=tqQ9zWxBfg8 youtube.com/watch?v=c13m_kEllGE youtube.com/watch?v=2s8x1BuvGTg
Techniques	Both Needles in the Hole at Once Curved Needles Flat Feather Gouged Channel One Needle in the Hole at a Time Piercing in Advance Piercing Inside Out Twisted Saddle Stitch Wriggling Awl

Marcell Mrsan Welting Tutorial

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=aga41JiDSDQ
Techniques	Both Needles in the Hole at Once Curved Needles Piercing in Advance Piercing Inside Out Simple Saddle Stitch Wriggling Awl

Paul Parkman Wingtips

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=qgPTuIedytU
Techniques	Norvegese Stitch Piercing in Advance Piercing Inside Out Straight Needles
Notes	Much of the video commentary seems incorrect or mis-translated. Pierces the welt from the outside in, then inseams from the inside out.

Role Club Engineer Boots

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=PRNziifpaNs&t=2m22s youtube.com/watch?v=PRNziifpaNs&t=5m24s
Techniques	Lockstitch No Feather Piercing Outside In Split Rib

Siroeno Yosui Embossed Cordovan Derbies

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=_8aoIizn68E&t=9m29s
Techniques	Curved Needles Flat Feather Gouged Channel Piercing in Advance Piercing Inside Out Simple Saddle Stitch Wriggling Awl

Lisa Sorrell Western Boots

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=b8YS_BSwmj8
Techniques	Beveled Feather Piercing in Advance Piercing Inside Out Piercing Straight Stitch Groover
Notes	Two passes with the stitch groover. First to define. Second to dig out. Concern that flat feathers are too unsupported, may curl up. No apparent concern about protecting stitches on the welt side.

Tosani Gold White Brogues

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=-Y2PubFRQyk
Techniques	Lockstitch Piercing Inside Out Wriggling Awl

White’s Drifter

Videos	youtube.com/watch?v=rppxbT9OeuY&t=265s
Techniques	Flat Feather Machine Channeled Piercing as They Go Piercing Inside Out Simple Saddle Stitch Wire Bristles Wriggling Awl
Notes	welted stitchdown boot