Shoes and boots were the mainstays of a 19th-century factory set in the periphery of Northampton, a town known for its male footwear heritage. Today, topping a fifth of its heyday production at 1000 pairs per week, the workers collective has survived by shifting from single style mass production to a multi-variant craft.
Keeping a pure design using classic tools, Solovair takes pride in its European sourcing and use of vegan synthetic materials. Whether sold under their own brand or privately, modest roots continue by using the same fully functional equipment that put together the first pair of Dr Martens' boots, from a time they were made under license.
Over 100 unique processes per foot are mastered by a team focused on quality and not quantity. 'Clickers' tessellate double-sided cutter shapes to reduce material wastage, whilst being mindful to workaround the natural imperfections. Resultant fabric segments are sewn up after a process of skiving to thin out edges and set in their final three-dimensional form by being pulled over a foot-shaped 'last'.
A welt, of Goodyear invention, is sewn around the base of the upper part and separately to the sole which is then fused together by slicing a heated plate between the two plastic surfaces, melting along its path. Final trimming and polishing completes the footwear ready for branding and boxing.
Source Motion, Solovair // Stills, Text & Curation, FH //
I just happy enough to make an ordinary motif#derby#vfront#bespoke #shoemaking #welting #bespokeshoes #bottier #soulier #scarpasumisura #massschuhe #maßschuhe (Ryota Hayafuji Shoemaker) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqnm9oVnsWc/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=htvfnh7x3ni5