Making Goth Victorian Evening Shoes??!

Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one. And yes, a pair of iridescent beaded pumps with a spider on a bow was the simple option! As it turns out, 1899 was a major transitional year in shoes, just as it was with fashion in general. Heels rose, styles changed rapidly, and the classic black leather pump was one of the few standards in evening shoes that didn't give way as the century turned.

I honestly struggled with this pair, not only in the making, but in the design as well. I desperately wanted something with a more elaborate design, something that showcased work and skill and would be clearly iconic of the late Victorian era. But the options continued to fall short of what I was seeking. So after many hours of searching for better inspiration, I relegated myself to a plain pump with the caveat that I could do an elaborate beaded design on the toe. Which set off another search to find a pair with the popular Aesthetic movement inspiration of spiderwebs! The late 19th c was unsurprisingly goth after all.

For the construction, it used the turn shoe method which was stated in one shoemaking manual of the time to be the only way quality evening slippers were being made. Which is well inside of my range of shoemaking knowledge, but I just had to go and try to understand one of the most popular machines of the day- the McKay stitcher. Which is not easy to replicate by hand apparently. So, shoe #2 went much faster as I returned to stitching the old fashioned way.

But every pair of shoes I make, particularly the more modern styles, is full of opportunities to learn and do better the next time. There are many things I tried on this pair that I loved (inserting the leather shank after turning per a manual) and many things I did not (stitching around the heel area with a shoemakers stitch that was barely covered by the heel). But that's the point!

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00:00 Research
09:45 Beading & Uppers
13:58 Soles
18:57 Lasting & Stitching
28:12 Heels & Finishing
31:59 Finishing Touches