Different Types of

UNIT 6 DIFFERENT TYPES OF LASTING Lasting Construction

CONSTRUCTION
Structure
6.1 Introduction
Objectives

6.2 Other Kinds of Lasting Construction

6.2.1 Lasting Down
6.2.2 Lasting Up
6.2.3 Force Lasting
6.2.4 String Lasting

6.3 Stitched Construction

6.4 Welted Construction
6.5 Veldtschoen/Stitchdown Construction
6.6 OMIC Method of Manufacturing
6.7 Direct Sole Stitched Construction
6.8 Summary
6.9 Key Words
6.10 Answers to SAQs

6.1 INTRODUCTION
The shoe has always had an important place in costume. Until recent years, many shoes
were made to be worn only on occasions of great ceremony. Some of these were very
lavish in design and ornamentation, lending importance and distinction to the official
dress of proud wearers.
Through all this development, comparatively little attention was devoted to fitting
qualities or comfort. Even when the medieval guilds controlled craftsmanship in Europe,
perfection in workmanship and extravagance in style seems to have been sought in shoes
rather than foot comfort and protection.
Up to 1850, all shoes were made with practically the same hand tools that were used in
Egypt as early as the 14th century B.C. as a part of a sandal maker’s equipment. To the
curved awl, the chisel-like knife and the scraper, the shoemakers of the thirty-three
intervening centuries had added only a few simple tools such as the pincers, the
Lapstone, the hammer and a variety of rubbing sticks used for finishing edges and heels.
Efforts had been made to develop machinery for shoe production. They had all failed and
it remained for the shoemakers of the United States to create the first successful
machinery for making shoes.
In 1845, the first machine to find a permanent place in the shoe industry came into use. It
was the Rolling Machine, which replaced the lap stone and hammer previously used by
hand shoemakers for pounding sole leather, a method of increasing wear by compacting
the fibres.
The invention of the shoe machinery also gave way to the methodology of the other types
of constructions in which a shoe could be made.
Objectives
After studying this unit, you should be able to
• understand the different ways of lasting footwear upper into a full shoe, thus
giving it different forms of construction, 5
Machine Lasting • construct a good year welted shoe, and
• acquire knowledge and skills regarding the stitch down construction and the
OMIC method of manufacturing a shoe.

6.2 OTHER KINDS OF LASTING CONSTRUCTION

What is Construction?
In footwear manufacturing, the ‘construction’ is associated with some specific
operations in the making department, which is carried out in order to attach outsole
etc. with the upper, related to a particular bottoming construction. Often the
operations and their sequences vary depending on the type of shoe, and changes are
made and carried out to create variations for a design. The method of making a
complete shoe is also influenced by availability of skill, material and changing
fashion.
For example, till 50s before the introduction of Polychloroprene adhesive,
manufacturers were dependent on riveting or stitching to secure outsole to the
upper which was quite labor intensive job. Attaching sole with adhesive found to
be lot easier once better bonding adhesives came into effect. Gradually other
methods like strobel lasting for direct vulcanizing bottoming and string lasting for
direct injection molding were introduced, for minimum workforce, and for faster
output but by more expensive tooling (moulds etc.).
A footwear upper can be turned into a shoe in different ways. The following are the
some of the other methods employed for lasting of a footwear upper :
• Lasting Down
• Lasting Up
• Force lasting
• String Lasting
6.2.1 Lasting Down
In this method, the upper and the upper lining are lasted down.
A-1 Rib Lasting
A-2 Flat Lasting
A-3 Pre-welted Lasting
A-4 Flanged Lasting

6 A-1 Rib Lasting A-2 Flat Lasting

 Different Types of
Lasting Construction
Sole Mould

Soling Material

Welt (Stitched
On Upper)
Metal Last
Clamp Moving
Up Stretching
the Upper

Upper

A-3 Pre-welted Lasting

Note : Pre-welted Lasting is done on Vulcanising Press or on Injection Moulding
machine by stretching the upper on the metal mould (male mould) while closing
it to the female mould. The welt has been earlier stitched on the edge of the
upper. The products are for heavy boots.

A-4 Flanged Lasting

In Flanged lasting, the upper is attached onto the Runner (sometimes called insole) by
adhesive, or (as done earlier) by a special stapling machine, or (as done earlier) by
machine, which do the lasting and stitching in one operation. Today, pre-moulding the
toe of the upper prior flanged cement lasting is quite common.
6.2.2 Lasting Up
Moccasin can be ‘lasted up’ by hand pincers by securing the vamp by tacks on top of the
forepart of the last. After lasting, the plug (apron) will be tacked into position ready for
hand stitching. Stitching is done by removing tacks at a time.
Strobel or Sewn-in-sock sting Lasting

Upper B-1 Lasting Up a Moccasin

LAST

Sock Lining
Overriding (Strobel) Stitch
B-1a Lasting Up a Moccasin by
Lasting Up a Moccasin
securing by tacks

Plug (Apron)
Tack Stitch

B-1b Attaching Plug (Apron) by tacks,

Last Last then stitching
B-1a B-1b
Vamp Vamp
7
Machine Lasting 6.2.3 Force Lasting
The upper is forced over the front of the last with the back being pushed into right
position etc., e.g. slip-lasted shoe (Californian shoe), moccasin, strobel (sewn-in-sock)
etc.

C-1 Force Lasting California or Slip Lasted Construction

Strobel or Sewn-in-sock Lasting

L ti

Upper
LAST

Sock Lining
Overriding (Strobel) Stitch

Lasting Up a Moccasin

Plug (Apron)
Tack Stitch

Last Last

B- 1a B-1b
Vamp
Vamp

C-2 Force Lasting Strobel or Sewn-In-Sock

C-3 Force Lasting Moccasin (the Moccasin Plug Stitched before Lasting)

6.2.4 String Lasting

A very old process for making light shoes which has been revived in recent years for
conventional walking and casual shoes. It features a special heavy gauge drawstring sewn
by over locking sewing machine round the margin of the flat upper. The upper and an
insole are placed over the last, which is mounted on a jack post, and the operator hauls
the upper closely to the last by pulling on the ends of the drawstring. The process is
8 additionally interesting for today’s conditions because the last used can be the moulding
last of an injection moulding machine, allowing the sole to be moulded-on without Different Types of
transferring the work to another operator. This method of lasting has been gaining Lasting Construction
popularity in the recent years as it replaces the actual lasting operations.

Last

Thread

D-1b String Lasted shoe with Direct Moulded Bottom Over Lock Stitch, Upper

Over
Lock
Stitch
Last

String

D-1a String Inside ‘Tunnel’ Formed by then Pulled Over the Last

D-1c Methods of String Lasting Pulls

SAQ 1
What are the various constructions used in lasting a footwear upper? Illustrate them
with diagrams.

6.3 STITCHED CONSTRUCTION

In general term stitched construction is where functional stitching is used during
assembly of upper to the bottom components.
Amongst the existing manufacturing processes where stitching plays important role in
fastening the upper with any of the components mentioned below is known as stitched
construction. 9
Machine Lasting The components can be Midsole, Runner, Welt and the Outsole.
As mentioned above, in earlier days stitching of upper and the outsole were popular
among manufacturers. The evidence we find in Indian traditional footwear where leather
is cut into fine strips and used for stitching the upper and out sole made out of vegetable-
tanned leather.
In the western world, welted method was adopted where a leather strip called welt is
stitched with insole channel and upper and the extended part of the welt is then stitched
with the outsole. Mainly Men’s dress shoes and riding boots were manufactured in this
method. With the growing need in the industrial sector heavy welted boots with PVC
welt and rubber mid-soles with heat welded sole have been introduced which is popular
in the USA, the UK and Canada. Other constructions like stitchdown or Veldtschoen
construction was introduced where the lasting margin of the upper is flanged out and
secured with a runner with the help of stitching, followed by outsole is attached with the
runner. Another stitched construction was introduced namely McKay or Blake sewn,
where a mid-sole is attached with the flat lasted upper and chain stitching is performed
from inside the shoe through insole and upper to the mid-sole. The sole then is attached
and outer protrusion of the mid-sole is stitched with the outsole giving the shoe a welted
look.
In another method, having no mid-sole, lockstitching (‘Littleway lockstitching’) is
performed from inside the shoe through insole and upper to the leather sole on a groove
or channel made on the outsole in order to avoid thread damage due to abrasion in wear.
This construction is called machine sewn.
In the hand-sewn method, pre-perforated upper is hand stitched with a pre-perforated sole
and last is forced into the shoe to obtain shape. Both shoe and sandals are produced
which are elegant and very comfortable and requires almost no machinery in the making
section. Labour requirement is minimum in this type of footwear.

6.4 WELTED CONSTRUCTION

The welted construction is an indirect method of attachment, as first of all welt, upper
and the rib of the insole are sewn together by chain stitch, forming a horizontal seam;
then sole and the welt are sewn together by lock stitching, this being a vertical seam.
Making (Lasting and Bottoming)
Insole Attaching
Insole attaching can be the first operation in lasting. The insoles are held in
position with 5 tacks in the forepart, one in the waist and one in the heel seat.

The insole should be correctly placed on the last. No portion must protrude
out of the feather line, which will result in lifted upper and visible welt seam.
Protrusion at the side will result in distorted feather line.
Stiffener and Toe Puff Insertion
Stiffeners (counters) can be of pre-molded type, or sheet type either
thermoplastic or solvent activated and will be inserted between lining and
upper. Toe puff may be of solvent activated or thermoplastic ones.
10
 Different Types of
Lasting Construction

Counter Stiffener (Arrow Showing Skived Areas)

Counter and toe puff must be accurately skived to avoid print through, which
may also cause discomfort in wear.
Back Tacking
To ensure central back seam and correct back height the upper is tacked to
the seat area of the insole. This operation can be eliminated when back part
moulding machine with flanging device is used.

Back Tacking

Pulling Over and Toe Lasting

Earlier in machine lasting for welted construction the upper was pulled over
the last on a pulling over machine to ensure correct positioning on the last
and fastened on to the edge of the insole (see diagram). A bench pincer can
be used to give initial pull if the upper is short to ensure proper alignment.
After side lasting the toe was lasted by wiper plates and attached by
temporary wire in the bed lasting machine.
As a pre-requisite, operator must check the previous operation to ensure
alignment and must avoid excessive pulling of lasting margin, which may
damage the upper.

Pulling Over Operation

Today, the entire toe area is lasted by forepart lasting (pulling over and toe
lasting) machine in one operation. Fastening is carried out by hot melt
cement with a special rib, called ‘Plirib’ attached on the insole.
Forepart lasting onto plirib is more or less standard practice now. The rib
need to be a lay flat type so the wipers can slide over it.
There are even 9 pincer forepart lasters adapted for welted shoe lasting.
Side Lasting
Similar to tack lasting at the toe, the waist area of the upper is fastened with
the outer wall of the rib by wire staple. The upper is given a manual drafting
11
Machine Lasting pull and secured firmly in place by hand before staples are driven
horizontally one by one by the side lasting machine (see diagram).

Side Lasting Pull

Today, having plirib type of insole rib the side lasting can be done by
combined forepart and sidelasters, or even combined seat and side lasting
machines.
The staple side laster could still be the best option and is still in use in welted
factories.
Heel Seat Lasting
The seat is usually flat lasted using tacks, also cement lasting can be used.
The operation tends to tighten the shoe on the back of the last, thus making
for a tight close fitting of the upper in that region. Maintaining proper back
height is very important. Tacking pattern must be so that the seat corner
tacks are driven 1/4th inch behind from the end of the rib.

Heat Setting
This is an operation carried out to ensure shape retention of the lasted upper
within limited production time for a pair of shoe. Moisture and high velocity
air is applied on the lasted upper material for a given time to relax the lasting
strain. However, the parameter values of heat setting varies with the material
used.
An inspection before this operation must be carried out to eliminate any
possible defects such as pleats in the operations.
Upper Trimming
This operation is performed to prepare the lasted upper for welt sewing. The
surplus material of the lasting margin of the shoe upper is trimmed off by
upper trimming machine leaving 2-3 millimeters above the rib. Before this
operation, the insole tacks are removed. The upper must be trimmed far
enough back at the seat corners.
12
 Different Types of
Lasting Construction

Upper Trimmed Back Correctly

Welt Sewing
Welt sewing can be seen as the first operation of bottoming.
The welt is a narrow ¾″ wide and 2.5-3mm thick strip of vegetable tanned
leather with a groove on the flesh side into which stitching is bedded. On the
grain side, the welt is beveled so that it will lie at right angle to the edge of
the upper when beaten. The leather welt is tempered in water before being
attached. The welt sewing machine produce a chain stitch, using a wax
lubricated nylon or linen thread (6-9 ply). The wax coating prevents melting
of thread due to its friction with the thick leather and also seals the hole made
by the needle in the welt and the upper to improve water resistance.
While stitching, a suitable guide is used matching the contour and width of
the welt. The position of the guide is adjusted so that the needle can pass
through its groove and through upper and the rib of the insole. The thread
tension must be controlled to prevent stitch showing after the welt is beaten
(see diagrams).
Path of Needle Edge
Edge
Groove Bevel Groove
Bevel
Thread Thread Welt
Welt
Insole Insole

Upper
Last Last Upper

Chain Stitch

Welt Tacking and Butting or Welting

This is a bench operation. The welt ends are beaten back in line with the wall
of the rib and tacked in this position. The ends are then skived by a knife to
blend with the seat piece. This operation is highly skilled as the shape of the
bottom of the shoe and the level of the line depends on the operator’s skill.
Insole score marks of the lip are the starting and stopping points for the
operator.

13
Machine Lasting Inseam Trimming
A cylindrical knife of the inseam trimming machine trims the welt; upper
and insole rib tight to the seam to reduce the cavity between sole and insole
thereby improve flexing. This operation must be done carefully in order not
to damage welt-sewing thread.

Seam
Insole Welt

Last
Upper

Welt Beating
The welt is beaten by welt beating machine to bring it out at right angles to
the shoe and to consolidate the fiber structure of the welt to give a better
edge finish. The vegetable tanned leather welt must be mellow during
beating so that it can easily conform to the shape of the last in the turning,
and must be allowed to dry after beating to ease sole laying operation.
Today, PVC welt is also used in work boots.

Hammer

Seam Welt
Insole Guide

Last Upper

Shank Attaching and Bottom Filling

The shank, steel of wooden is attached by adhesive. The shank can also be
attached by eyelet type of rivets onto a seat board piece that fits into the
cavity at the insole waist. This assembly is then cemented onto the insole.
Since weight-bearing capacity of a footwear largely depends on this
operation, shank also must follow the last contour at its waist area and be of
required length and quality.

Cork (traditionally), or felt filler etc. is usually used for bottom filling
(forepart). Tar impregnated Cork filler, applied as hot, makes the shoe more
14 water-tight and flexible. Cork may not any more be easily available.
 Different Types of
Lasting Construction

Correct

Attach Seat Piece

A leather seat piece (the same substance as the welt) which is skived to
match the welt skive is attached to the seat. The skived edge is cemented and
the seat piece is tacked over the lasting allowance. Its job is to build up
substance around the seat equal to that of the welt (see diagram). The shoe is
then passed through a drying cabinet at 25o – 30o C to dry out filler and welt
for sole attaching operation. This is to be noted that to obtain good finish at
the seat area the seat piece must be cut from the prime part of the bend.
Sole and Shoe Bottom Cementing
The shoe and the mulled outsole (leather) are coated with latex adhesive and
left for adhesive drying before sole attaching.
Sole Attaching
The prepared sole is attached using a sole laying press. It is necessary to
design the sole to leave an allowance around the edge of the sole for rough
rounding.

Grain

Sole

Welt

Insole

Last Upper

Rough Rounding and Channeling

This is one of the highly skilled operations in the attaching room. The
function of this operation is to round the welt and the sole to a certain width
all round the feather line and at the same time to cut the channel or groove in
the sole for the purpose of lock stitching and protecting the stitches. Rough
rounding machine must be set so that the distance of the sole edge from the
center of the groove is about 1/8″. The width of the groove varied by the type
of knife and its depth should be such that the stitches are just buried.
In case of channelling is done on the sole, it should be opened immediately
after rough rounding operation as long as the sole is mellow. The machine
opens and lays back the lip of the channel, so the channel is sufficiently open
for stitching. This is done while the sole is still in mellow condition. 15
Machine Lasting Channel Groove
Shoulder of Channel
Sole

Insole Welt
Sole

Last Upper Angle may be

Varied

Lip Laid Slightly Over

Shoulder

Sole

Welt

Channel Opening
Outsole Stitching
The outsole stitching, i.e. securing of soles to the welt is being done on sole
stitching machine. The seam connecting the sole and welt is vertical and
formed with two threads penetrating from each side and locking together
(lock stitch). The machine is set for suitable stitch length for various welt and
soling materials and the thread tension is adjusted so that the threads are
locked about 1/3 of the substance.
The length of the stitches depends on the substance being stitched; type of
work and the size of awl, needle and thread used. It is usual to have an awl
slightly bigger than the needle as it reduces friction from the hole.
Seam in Channel

Sole

Insole
Welt

Last Upper

Channel Closing
If the outsole stitching is not in a groove, but in an open channel, the open
channel is cemented with latex and after drying the adhesive is then closed.
The shoe bottom is pressed against a revolving brass wheel to lay the channel
flat to the sole, covering the stitching.
Bottom Filling Closed Channel
Sole
Vertical Lock St. Seam
Welt
Insole
Horizontal Chain St. Seam

Last Upper

Stitch Wheeling and Separating

It is a decorative operation. An indentation is made in the welt between each
stitch to emphasize the stitching. This is done from the out heel breast
position till inside joint. Number of indent teeth on the wheel must match the
stitch length. Stitch separating brings each stitch out boldly, thus improving
16 the appearance.
 Bottom Leveling Different Types of
Lasting Construction
This operation is performed on sole leveling machine. The machine is roller
type or press type. The purpose of this operation is to make the sole conform
to the bottom of the last, and set it permanently in such a position, remove all
unevenness and to force the sole to the welt itself to the original position
after welt beating.
Seat Nailing
The seat of the sole is permanently attached to the seat lift and insole with
nails. The nail ends clench against the metal plate on the shoe last bottom.
Seat Paring (Seat Trimming)
The surplus heel and seat piece around the seat is trimmed to 1/8″ from the
feather edge. This acts as a guide for heel attaching.
Finishing Section (Goodyear Welted)
The finishing department differs from the preceding departments where the shoe is
not actually being built up, or any component added to the construction, except
stain and wax. Apart from building in a certain amount of water resistance, it is
mainly adding the gloss to the product as the word finishing implies.
However, like most products, much depends on the quality of the finishing process
to make the goods desirable and give them their appeal. The finishing process is a
valued part of WELTED FOOTWEAR manufacture, with considerable skill is still
to be found in it.
The operation of heel attaching is not really a finishing operation and yet it is not
really unknown for this process to come under the jurisdiction of the finishing
department. This possibly stems from the time when the heeling section was a
department in its own right in many factories, building the heel and attaching them.
With this thought in mind, a brief look at heel attaching could well prove useful
before proceeding with the other finishing operations.
Outside Heel Attaching
There are two methods of outside heel attaching used for welted footwear.
Method 1
(i) The shoe is placed in the machine with the heel in position but
without top piece.
(ii) Up to 14 tapered, square shanked, headless nails (“lightning heel
pin”) are driven up through the heel into the insole but leaving
approximately 2 mm protruding through the heel base.
(iii) The top piece is then pressed onto the protruding nails to be
permanently attached at a later stage

Seat Insole
Lift
Welt

Piece Sole
Heel Lifts
Sole
Top Piece
Heel
Pins
.
17
Machine Lasting Method 2
The shoe is placed in position in the machine, and bifurcated nails are
driven into the seat of the sole in the required pattern. The identical
pattern of holes are made in the heel, which is then transferred along a
runway and accurately located onto the seat and placed over the nails.
In this case, the top piece is already permanently fixed to the heel prior
to its attachment.

Seat
Welt Lift
Insole
Piece Sole
Bi-furcated Pins

Sole Built Heel

Pricked Holes

Shaping of the Sole and Heel Edges

Heel Trimming or Paring
The purpose of this operation is to determine the final heel shape, prior to
scouring, by removing the surplus material with rotating cutters. The main
parts and the heel trimming machine are shown in the diagram.
Counter
Guard Top Lift
Rest

Heel
Rest

Heel Scouring
To remove any marks left by the heel trimming blades and make the heel
edge smooth. The breast of the heel is also scoured smooth.

Ist Movement 2nd Movement

Heel Scouring (1st Movement) Heel Scouring (2nd Movement)

The correct result of heel scouring is
• Heel correct shape
18 • Scoured from corner to corner
 • No scouring marks on the heel Different Types of
Lasting Construction
• Smooth finish to heel
• No damage caused to the upper
Edge Trimming
This operation is to give final shape to the sole edge, and blending it to the
heel, so that a smooth surface continues all round the edge of the sole. This
operation requires most skill in the finishing room and sensitive handling.

Hob Cutter

Sequential Movement (Alternatives) of Shoe during Edge Trimming

Heel Scouring (Fine)

This operation is performed in order to obtain a hard and smooth edge finish
of the heel. The emery paper grit size used for this operation is 180-220.

Heel and Edge Coloring

This operation is done to color sole and heel edges. This is sometimes known
as edge inking and generally a manual operation when finishing by
traditional method. The finishes used is mostly water based, although spirit
based stains are available.
Edge finish may contain either resin or wax, gives full cover in whichever
color used. Generally, natural, black or various shades of brown are
available.
Special stains are available for the heel breasts, where treatments
subsequently applied to the sole and heel edge cannot be undertaken (wax
burnishing). 19
Machine Lasting Tools required for edge coloring are :
(i) Narrow bristles tooth brush for the edges.
(ii) A flat camel hairbrush for the heel.

Heel Burnishing and Polishing

To force wax into the heel edge with waxing rolls. This machine is designed
to give the heels increased resistance to water penetration and improve their
shape retention during wear.
Temperature Wax
Controls Pots

Seat
Wheel

Finished
Brush
Burnishing
Pad

A Typical Heel Burnishing and Polishing Machine

Seat Wheeling
Seat wheeling causes a narrow row of indentations to be applied around the
top edge of the heel producing a decorative effect. Different wheels can be
used to vary the number of impressions to the inch. For women’s work 24-60
is given and for men it is 16-26 indentations.

Heel

Heated
Rod

Wheel

Edge Setting
The purpose is to force heated wax into the sole and welt edge in order to
make it water resistant, retain its shape and improve its appearance. A heated
20 iron is used which has a shape such that it marries up exactly to the sole edge
 shape. It is fitted on to an edge setting machine. Two basic types of machines Different Types of
available are oscillating type where the heated iron is oscillating and shoe Lasting Construction
bottom edge is pressed against, and rotary type where iron is setting the
edge by rotary movement.
Sole Edge
Edge Iron

Edge Feeler

Sole Feeler

Shoe Support

Close Up of Setting iron on Sole Edge

The correct result of the edge setting should be as given below.

• Edges smooth and evenly covered in wax
• Sole edge shape well defined
• No wax smeared on the upper
Bottom Scouring
To remove grain surface of leather soles and top pieces in preparation for the
application of the bottom finish.
It is necessary to remove the grain surface of the leather sole and top piece
for the following reasons
• To produce a clean, uniform surface appearance.
• To reduce possibility of cracking which may be initiated by the hard
grain surface.
• To allow the sole to absorb and hold the bottom finish.
The machine consists of two wide felt covered rollers, the first of which
bears a medium grade abrasive for the removal of the hard grain surface of
the leather.
The finer grade abrasive (180 grit) on the second roller produces a uniform
smooth finish.
The waist where rollers cannot reach, circular naumkeags are used to remove
grain which allows operator to scour right up to the heel breast.

Naumkeags

Scouring Rollers

Bottom Scouring Machine Bottom Scouring Operation

The correct result of bottom scouring should be

• A fine nap finish to the sole with no scratches or blemishes.
21
Machine Lasting • Waist and forepart scouring blended in.
• Edges of sole and heel remain square
• No frayed sole stitching
Bottom Making
The purpose of this operation is to color and polish the shoe bottom in order
to enhance its appearance and improve the water resistance of the sole. This
is to be applied in two coats in the form of base coat and a topcoat
respectively.
Examples of common finishes are given below.
• Clear wax is applied to the shoe bottom. Carnauba wax is then applied
via polishing mop. This produces a clear shiny effect.
• A color spray finish is applied to the sole followed by a carnauba wax
polishing on the mop.
• Soft colored wax is applied by brush followed by carnauba wax
polishing. This brings about a high gloss.

Polishing the Sole

A decorative indentation may be given on the sole bottom edge by hand or

by machine.
The correct result of bottom making is
• Shoe bottoms finished as specified
• Evenness of colour
• All pattern work neatly executed
To tidy up finally polish the shoe bottom final brushing is given to the edge
of the sole, heel and the bottom.
Last Slipping (Delasting)
The last is removed and sent for lasting. The shoe enters shoe rooming
operation.
Shoe Rooming
Let us now understand the various processes involved in Shoe-rooming. The
following are the main processes :
• Cleaning.
• Repairing.
22 • Wrinkle chasing.
 • Filling by base coat application. Different Types of
Lasting Construction
• Topcoat application.
• Cutting and polishing.
Cleaning
Before starting shoe-rooming operation, ensure that the surface to be
finished has been cleaned. The purpose is to remove dirt, adhesives,
other unwanted marks and contamination and prepare the surface to
accept further finishing treatment.
Repairing
The purpose of repair is to bring the shoe to a good standard before
continuing with the other operations in the shoe room. It can be done
by using repair crayons, repair pastes, and spray paints for grain
upper materials. The paste or spray can be either water or spirit based.
Wrinkle Chasing
Removing the wrinkles on the lasted upper by applying heat. This is
done by ironing the wrinkled surface or by hot air blower. Application
of heat contracts the material thus removing the wrinkles.
Filling/Base Coat
Filling or Base coat application is done to remove the ‘Open or
Hungry’ look of leather after the Lasting process. Its purpose is to seal
the surface for subsequent top dressing. It ensures that the top coat
does not sink in and a minimum quantity of dressing material is used
for the desired appearance and lustre.
Top Coat Application
This is the final treatment, which gives the shoe its lustre and finished
appearance.
Cutting and Polishing
The process involves smoothing the grain on the upper material by
cotton brush called Cutting or woollen brush application called
Polishing.
Ancillary Operations
Apart from shoe dressing there are a number of ancillary operations, which ensure
that footwear is dispatched in best possible condition. These are as mentioned
below :
• Sole stamping
• Sock insertion
• Hot blasting, Ironing, Singeing : the purpose is to clear wrinkles on upper
• Ornament attaching : if required
• Inspection
Variations in the Standard Welted Shoe
So far we have dealt with making and finishing of traditional welted shoe fitted
with a leather sole. However, in order to produce shoes of lighter weight, lower
price or making them for different purpose welted shoes may be fitted with other
sole and heel material and other components like mid-sole and steel toe cap. In that
case, changes in standard operation may be necessary to suit manufacturing needs.
Let us look at the sequence of operations for a welted shoe made for industrial use
with midsoles and steel toecap : 23
Machine Lasting • Counter (stiffener) attaching
• Counter moulding
• Insole attaching
• Back tacking
• Toe lasting (lining)
• Toe cap attach
• Toe lasting (upper)
• Staple Side and heel (seat) lasting
• Heat setting
• Upper trimming
• Welt sewing
• Inseam trimming
• Insole tack removal
• Midsole and welt cementing
• Bottom filling and insertion of penetration resistance insert
• Midsole attaching
• Rough rounding
• Midsole stitching
• Cementing of outsole and midsole
• Outsole attaching
• Edge trimming
• Edge scouring
• Last slipping
• Shoe rooming
Please note the toe lasting operation has been performed twice and seat piece
attaching and many other finishing operations carried out in standard welted work
have been eliminated.
Welted Footwear with Crepe Sole
Crepe rubber has for many years been used as an alternative sole material for
welted footwear.
There are two methods of finishing commonly used on this type of work.
(i) The square trimming of the sole and heel edges.
(ii) The undercutting of welt using a rabbet cutter, to allow a crepe curtain to be
attached. This is a thin strip of crepe which covers the trimmed edge all
around the shoe.
SAQ 2
(a) Give the sequence of operations of a traditional good year welted shoe.
(b) How does it vary from the modern technique?
(c) What are the different methods of attaching the heel?

24 (d) Give the finishing and shoe rooming process of a good year welted shoe.
 Different Types of
6.5 VELDTSCHOEN/STITCHDOWN CONSTRUCTION Lasting Construction

This construction is popular in the manufacture of children’s footwear and adult casual
footwear. In this construction, the upper is pulled over the last and attached over to the
extended part of the insole, which is also known as runner. This is the distinguishing
feature of this construction. The sole is then stuck on.
This leaves a raw edge of the upper material, runner and sole. Finishing consists of edge
trimming by using a hob cutter, and colouring of the edge.
Constructional Variations in Veldtschoen Construction

Stitch Down/Veldtschoen Construction

Only sole is
Runner is used to used to fasten upper
Insole and runner
fasten upper
Is used. Lasting
completed in two stages

Upper flanged out and

Upper and lining attached to the sole
fully flanged out
Lining flat lasted
and
Upper flanged out

Diagram of a Basic Stitch Down Shoe

Stitchdown
Lasting
Upper Stitchdown
Upper

Runner Runner

Cement/Thread/Staples Lockstitch Outsole Cemented

Cross Sectional Diagram of Basic Stitch Down Shoe

25
Machine Lasting Sequence of operations of a basic stitch down construction footwear are given below.
Toe Puff Attaching
Size and Article to be checked, temperature of the m/c to be checked. The toe puff
must be properly attached to the upper. Temperature and time of machine to be set
according to toe puff and upper material.
Counter Moulding
Size, article, time and temperature (depending on lining & upper) to be checked.
Lining should not be folded or burnt. Cold mould should have same profile as that
of the last used in production.
Pre-cementing of Runner/Insole and Upper
Adhesive application must be restricted till the lasting margin in order to avoid
soiling of lining inside the shoe. Cementing can be done manually or edge
cementing machine. Use Neoprene adhesive.
Insole/Runner Attaching
Insole/runner is 10-12mm bigger than the last where the flanged out lasting margin
is attached. While attaching the insole it is nailed or stapled at 6-7 different places
in order to conform with last bottom curvature. Accurate placement is very
important, where the insole should have uniform protrusion.
Toe Conditioning/Mulling and Toe Lasting
Make sure the upper as well as the toe-puff is soft enough to go for toe lasting.
Check the machine adjustment is done according to last shape and upper leather
material. Attach proper tools like insole rest and wiper according to last shape.
Heel/Side Lasting and Trimming
This operation is performed to attach the heel and side lasting margin to the runner
as well as to achieve uniform stitch distance from the last. Set runner/insole margin
before operation. The trimming knife must be sharp to achieve a clean cut.
Outsole Stitching
Select proper thread and right sized needle. Set thread tension and stitch length.
Heat Setting
Set parameters as per upper material/finishes etc.
Wrinkle Chasing and Ironing
Avoid direct contact of iron to prevent finish damage.
Tack Removal from Insole
Very Important : If all the tacks are not removed it will be difficult to un-last the
shoe as well as it will injure the foot on wear if left inside.
Adhesive Application on Runner (1st Coat)
10 minute drying time must be given before applying 2nd coat.
Adhesive Application on Sole
Proper sole preparation must be carried out before adhesive application on sole.
Leather sole needs 2 coats of adhesives.
Adhesive Application on Upper (2nd Coat)
26 At least 15 minute drying time must be given before sole attaching.
Re-activation and Sole Press Different Types of
Lasting Construction
Check dwell time of the reactivation chamber and measure temperature on the
surface of the sole as per the adhesive used. Pressure in the sole press, and dwell
time, should be adjusted according to sole.
Chilling
This operation is performed to ensure proper set of the footwear where the shoe
comes across a number of operations where heat is applied. To obtain best result,
around minus15oC temperature must be maintained in the machine.
Edge Trimming (Rough and then Fine)
This operation is same as welted construction. Appropriate cutter must be used for
various outsole materials. It is necessary to check width of lasting margin to
maintain uniformity.
Cleaning
Before the shoe is given any finishing treatment the upper must be thoroughly
cleaned from any visible and invisible dirt on its surface. However, always check
compatibility of cleaner with leather finish.
Delasting
Care must be taken to avoid distortion of the shoe.
Shoe Rooming and Packing
Refer welted construction.
SAQ 3
With reference to the sequence of operation given for the stitch down construction,
give a sequence for their variations.

6.6 OMIC METHOD OF MANUFACTURING

The stitch down construction can also be performed by force lasting method named as
omic construction, where the upper is molded in the forepart during preparation. A lock
stitch machine around the runner then stitches the upper before it is conditioned and force
lasted.
The most important aspect in this method is that the upper pattern and the runner pattern
must be 100% correct as unlike lasting down process, the scope of manipulation during
lasting is limited.
McKay Construction
This is another machine-sewn construction where the upper is flat lasted and
instead of attaching the sole with adhesive it is temporarily held in position by
adhesive and then stitched by a lock stitch machine. The stitching is carried out on
the sole through the insole and lasting margin of the shoe. The stitching on sole is
usually performed on pre-fabricated groove in order to avoid abrasion of the thread
with the ground. The same can also be carried out inside a channel on the sole and
thereby closing the channel after stitching. This stitching is generally found in boat
shoes, which is generally true moccasin in nature. Some dress shoes are also made
by this method. 27
Machine Lasting

Sequence of operations for manufacturing boat shoes :

(i) Upper preparation (Preforming and Back part molding).
(ii) Mulling and force lasting.
(iii) Insole insertion (half insole).
(iv) Back height set.
(v) Side and heel lasting.
(vi) Roughing.
(vii) Sole and upper cementing.
(viii) Activation and Sole pressing.
(ix) Delasting.
(x) McKay stitching.
(xi) Socks attaching and finishing.
In case of boat shoe, where rubber outsole is used, the stitching may be performed from
waist to waist through forepart, or on the entire shoe bottom. In case of dress shoe,
stitching is mostly performed from inside waist through forepart till outside waist. In this
case, inside heel nailing operation is performed in order to secure the sole against sole
adhesion failure.
McKay stitching today is not only used for bottom stitching only, but also carried out for
side and back wall stitching of sole. This can be obtained by attaching different horns
with the same machines
SAQ 4
What is OMIC method of construction? How does it help in the making of a stitch
down shoe.

6.7 DIRECT SOLE STITCHED CONSTRUCTION

This construction was introduced to produce very comfortable footwear, which requires
almost no machines in the making and finishing section. In this shoe, the upper is hand
28 sewn or machine sewn directly through the outsole. In case of hand-sewn direct sole
stitched shoe, the sole is pre-perforated half way through the wall of the sole and the edge Different Types of
of the upper is pre punched with the same number of perforation. The upper may have Lasting Construction
single or double rows of perforation to obtain different edge appearance. The types of
footwear manufactured in this method are gents/ladies casual, sandals etc.
In manufacturing, depending upon style produced the making operation varies. For
example, for a plain vamp footwear toe forming operation may be mandatory. The back
part molding (without flanging) may be carried out in the closing section before the upper
is sent for hand stitching.
After the hand stitching operation is performed, the shoe undergoes following sequences.
(i) Upper conditioning and force lasting.
(ii) Inspection, shape adjustment and heat setting.
(iii) Wrinkle chasing (if required).
(iv) Chilling.
(v) Delasting.
(vi) Sock attaching, finishing and packing.
The scope of manipulation in the shape is limited in this type of footwear; hence, the
main focus area in this manufacturing is in pattern engineering. Deficiency of any nature
in pattern cutting may produce a shoe, which is badly aligned. However, quality checks
in other operations (e.g. clicking, sewing and hand stitching) must not be neglected at the
same time.

6.8 SUMMARY
Let us summarise what you have learnt in this unit.
The sequence of operations of the Goodyear welted construction, stitch down
construction, OMIC method of construction and the Direct sole stitched construction are
all explained in detail with illustrations.

6.9 KEY WORDS

Pincers, the Lapstone, : The tools for making hand lasted shoe, even used
the Hammer till date.
Construction : It is associated with some specific operations in
the making department, which is carried out in
order to attach outsole etc. with the upper, related
to a particular bottoming construction.
Flanged Lasting : It is one of the type of lasting done in the stitch
down construction where the edge of the upper is
pulled towards the outer side and the protruding
runner.
Welted Construction : The welted construction is an indirect method of
attachment, as first of all welt, upper and the rib of
the insole are sewn together by chain stitch,
forming a horizontal seam; then sole and the welt
are sewn together by lock stitching, this being a
vertical seam.

6.10 ANSWERS TO SAQs

Check your answers of all SAQs with respective preceding text.
29
Machine Lasting
FURTHER READINGS
FDDI Handouts.
Shoe Process and Technology by Lasra.
Shoe Making Manual by Clarkes.
Swayam Siddha Manual by FDDI.

30
 Different Types of
MACHINE LASTING Lasting Construction

Construction, in itself, is a specialised branch of the Footwear Technology. It involves

the use of the various types of equipment, each type being available of the various
capacities. Therefore, the requisite knowledge of the present day equipment is of utmost
importance to practising Footwear technologists. This block focuses on the construction
and their sequence of operations with illustrations.
The block consists of two units:
In Unit 6, different types of construction are discussed in detail.
In Unit 7, fore part lasting, seat and side lasting and its machine operations, different
tooling used in the respective machines is discussed in detail. Moreover, light is thrown
on the heat setting operations, machine mechanism and recommended heat setting
conditions.

31